Rule of law in Philippines remains one of weakest in the region

MANILA, Philippines — Rule of law in the Philippines remained one of the weakest in East Asia and the Pacific, as the country fell one spot in the latest index of the World Justice Project. 

With a score of 0.46, the Philippines ranked 100th out of 142 countries in the WJP Rule of Law Index 2023. 

In the East Asia and Pacific region, Manila ranked 13th out of 15. Other nations with low scores in the region were Myanmar and Cambodia. 

Countries get a score of zero to one, with one indicating strongest adherence to rule of law. 

The Philippines scored 0.47 in constraints on government powers, 0.43 in absence of corruption, 0.47 in open government, 0.40 in fundamental rights, 0.67 in order and security, 0.47 in regulatory enforcement, 0.45 in civil justice, and 0.31 in criminal justice. 

According to WJP, the Philippines was among those that saw an improvement in its civil justice score. 

The organization noted that the index marked the sixth consecutive decline in the rule of law. The rule of law declined in 59% of countries surveyed. 

“The world remains gripped by a rule of law recession characterized by executive overreach, curtailing of human rights, and justice systems that are failing to meet people’s needs,” WJP co-founder and president William Neukom said.

“People around the world are paying the price,” he added. 

Globally, the top-ranked country in the 2023 WJP Rule of Law Index was Denmark. It was followed by Norway, Finland, Sweden and Germany. 

The country with the lowest score was Venezuela, then Cambodia, Afghanistan, Haiti, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. — Gaea Katreena Cabico