The survey that said that Philippines was the most corrupt country in Asia last year has "downgraded" the country to "only" sixth place.
Is this reason to celebrate?
Not just yet.
While it is welcome news, there is no real movement to curb corruption in the country. The sudden dip in the rankings may be attributable to many factors, e.g. corruption in the Philippines may have paled in comparison to massive corruption in other countries, or small-time corruption in the country may not have been reported with as much zeal as high-profile corruption. But the bare fact is that corruption is still present in the country, with no reprieve in sight. A quick look at the newspaper headlines this past year reveals that corruption is still a very big issue. And with our guard dog - the honorable Ombudsman - sleeping on her job, would anyone be faulted if he takes the survey with a grain of salt?
And I hope that corrupt officials do not take this as a sign that they aren't robbing enough.
Photo: watchsmart, Flickr, Creative Commons
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