EDITORIAL – Endemic

Corruption is endemic in this country, as Malacañang said. That is no excuse, however, to go slow on any effort to stamp out graft. It should instead strengthen the resolve of everyone to implement reforms that will eradicate the culture of corruption. It may not happen in the lifetime of current national leaders, but the groundwork can be laid for future generations.

In the global arena, corruption has become one of the biggest hindrances to investments and development. Red tape as well as the lack of transparency, public accountability and a level playing field can drive away from the Philippines badly needed investments to neighboring countries that have done their homework in implementing reforms.

Investors complain that corruption raises the cost of doing business in Asia. When the Asian financial crisis struck in 1997, several of our neighbors rushed to address that concern, implementing reforms to promote transparency and cut red tape. We, on the other hand, got mired in corruption scandal after corruption scandal at the highest levels of government. The consequences are evident.

It is no coincidence that the world’s developed economies are also ranked the cleanest in corruption surveys. The latest annual report of Transparency International ranked Iceland at the top among 159 countries and territories, with a score of 9.7 in transparency, followed by Finland, New Zealand, Denmark, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Australia and Austria. At the bottom was Chad with a score of 1.7 followed by Bangladesh, Turkmenistan, Myanmar, Haiti and Nigeria.

The Philippines at least wasn’t among the 10 worst on the list. But its ranking at 117th place, with a dismal score of 2.5 in the Corruptions Perception Index, is hardly encouraging. Transparency International pointed out that there is a clear link between corruption and poverty, and the list bears that out.

The changing rankings in the list indicate that corruption is not necessarily a cultural thing, and that reform is possible. Is corruption also endemic in Thailand, ground zero of the Asian financial flu, or in South Korea? Perhaps. But they did something about it, and continue to work for reforms. Both countries have made remarkable economic progress. What are we doing about our endemic problem?