PHILIPPINE COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY

164 Sales St., Sta. Cruz, Manila

POLITICAL ISSUE IN THE PHILIPPINE

CONTEXT

(Corruption)

Name: Abraham Arensol Solis

Subject: Understanding Cultural and Political Science
Grade/Section: 11-UNITY
 PHILIPPINE COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY
164 Sales St., Sta. Cruz, Manila

Informational Background
Corruption, cronyism and nepotism are serious problems in the Philippines. They
pervade public life, keeping tax revenues low and hurting efforts to alleviate poverty.
Charges of corruption, graft, and cronyism are common among government officials at
all levels. These problems are so entrenched that Filipinos have come to accept
cronyism and the diversion of a small percentage of funds as natural.
The Philippines ranked 94th out of 177 countries in Transparency International's 2013
corruption index, rising from 129th two years earlier, after Mr. Aquino pursued
corruption charges against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and former Chief
Justice Renato Corona, both of whom maintain their innocence. [Source: Trefor Moss,
Wall Street Journal, May 29, 2014]
In the 1990s the Philippines was regarded as one of the worlds most corrupt nations.
Most corrupt nations: 1) Nigeria; 2) Pakistan; 3) Kenya; 4) China; 5) Cameroon; 6)
Egypt; 7) Columbia; 8) Uganda; 9) the Philippines; 10) Indonesia. [Source:
Transparency International]
In a survey of 10 Asia-Pacific nation, the Philippine civil service was voted most
corrupt. The World Competitiveness Report ranked the Philippines just below Russia
and Indonesia for tax evasion, irregular payments and favoritism towards well-
connected companies. There was a corruption scandal on the new $657 million
international terminal at the Manila airport.
Some blame the Philippiness corruption problem on the merging of Filipino traditions
with American institutions. One Filipino political scientist told Smithsonian magazine,
Americans taught us the idea of honesty and integrity in civil service but local culture
conflicts with the democratic model. With no tradition of civil service and the prevalence
of strong family and community ties, bribery and nepotism have seeped into the system.
According to business-anti-corruption.com: Corruption is said to take place at all levels
of the government, but it is more rampant among high-level civil servants.For
businesses, it is important to note that the country's complex, sometimes contradictory
regulatory regime leaves room for corrupt civil servants to attempt to extract bribes.
Several surveys have also shown that companies generally have little confidence in the
Philippine judicial system. The main reasons include the allegedly incompetent court
personnel, corruption and long delays of court cases. There is a lack of transparency in
the Philippines' public procurement, and bribes are often demanded from companies
wishing to win government contracts, as shown by the Survey of Enterprises on
Corruption 2014. Another sector in which companies are particularly vulnerable is
obtaining licenses and permits; the Survey of Enterprises on Corruption 2014 shows
that the most common type of private sector corruption was bribing local government
 PHILIPPINE COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY
164 Sales St., Sta. Cruz, Manila

officials in return for licenses and permits in 2012 and 2013. [Source: business-anti-
corruption.com]
See Tax Evasion and Marcos and Estrada Under History

Philippines Ranked Forth Most Corrupt in Asia-Pacific

A survey released in 2010 showed ranked the Philippines as the fourth most corrupt of
16 major Asia-Pacific investment destinations. The Philippines scored 8.06 in the 2010
survey, indicating that--against its neighbors in the region--it swung from worst to bad.
In 2009, its score of 7.0 landed it on the 6th most corrupt spot. In 2008, it was ranked
the most corrupt. The survey was conducted by the Hong Kong-based Political &
Economic Risk Consultancy, which provides strategic business information and analysis
for companies doing business in East and Southeast Asia. The PERC's corruption
survey polled 2,174 middle, senior, and expatriate business executives in Asia,
Australia and the United States. [Source: abs-cbnNEWS.com, Reuters, AFP, March 9,
2010]
Corruption Survey by Political & Economic Risk Consultancy: 1) Singapore: 1.42; 2)
Australia: 2.28; 3) Hong Kong: 2.67; 4) United States: 3.42; 5) Japan: 3.49; 6) Macau:
4.96; 7) South Korea: 5.98; 8) Taiwan: 6.28; 9) Malaysia: 6.47; 10) China: 6.52; 11)
India: 7.18; 12) Thailand: 7.60; 13) Philippines: 8.06; 14) Vietnam: 8.07; 15) Cambodia:
9.10; 16) Indonesia: 9.27.
The survey looked at how corruption affected different levels of political leadership and
the civil service, and how major institutions fared in terms of corruption. It also examined
how corruption is perceived to affect the overall business environment, and how easy or
difficult it is for companies to deal with the problem internally and externally when they
encounter it. On a scale of zero to 10, zero is the best possible score, indicating the
lowest level of corruption among politicians and civil servants.

Philippine Government Deals Overpriced by 20 Percent Because of Corruption

Contracts with the Philippine government are usually overpriced by at least 20 percent
to facilitate kickbacks, a former senior state official told a Senate inquiry into corruption.
Manny Mogato of Reuters wrote: In emotional testimony, Rodolfo Lozada reiterated
previous allegations that the Philippines' top election official had demanded $130 million
as his cut for an eventual $329 million telecoms deal with China's ZTE, double the usual
kickback.[Source: Manny Mogato, Reuters, February 8, 2008]
"The whole problem started when Chairman Abalos wanted to protect his $130 million
in the project," said Lozada, an electronics engineer designated to evaluate the ZTE
contract. He was head of the state-run Philippine Forest Corp at the time. "I told him the
$130 million was too much and too difficult to cover. Maybe, if it was only $65 million
(that would be acceptable)." Benjamin Abalos was forced to resign as election
 PHILIPPINE COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY
164 Sales St., Sta. Cruz, Manila

commissioner last year when news of the kickbacks surfaced. Media reports have said
he brokered the deal because of his proximity to powerful officials.
Lozada said that a 20 percent overprice in a contract of such magnitude would usually
be acceptable. "It looks like that's the norm in government," said Lozada, citing as an
example the $1.3 billion Southrail project to improve railway links to and from the
capital. Some of the funding has come from China. Lozada said the cost of linking
government departments in a broadband network, which is what ZTE had been
contracted to do, should only have cost around $132 million.
Before he voluntarily appeared at the Senate inquiry, Lozada said officials tried to
prevent him from testifying. "They will not happy with what you will say there," Lozada
said, quoting his boss, Environment Secretary Lito Atienza. "He told me you're going to
give this administration to the opposition." Lozada returned from Hong Kong on
Tuesday and went missing for over 24 hours. Police officers picked him up when he
disembarked from a plane at Manila's international airport and drove him for several
hours to a province south of Manila, sparking fears that he was abducted. He was later
dropped off at a Catholic high school in Manila and a group of nuns from the school has
stayed with him throughout his public appearances. In sometimes tearful testimony on
Friday, Lozada said Abalos had threatened to kill him if he went public with his
allegations.

Dozens of Filipino Politicians Caught in $229 Million Graft Scandal

In May 2014, Trefor Moss wrote in the Wall Street Journal, A growing corruption
scandal entangled a swath of Manila's political elite as dozens of politicians were
accused of being linked to the theft of $229 million in Philippines taxpayer money. The
scandal centers on Janet Lim Napoles, a businesswoman who says she was part of a
scheme in which dummy nongovernmental organizations were formed between 2004
and 2010 to siphon off $229 million for herself and her accomplices. [Source: Trefor
Moss, Wall Street Journal, May 29, 2014 >>>]
Manuel Mogato of Reuters wrote: Filipinos were shocked by media accounts of the
opulent lifestyle of the woman who is suspected of running a massive kickback scheme
for lawmakers. Janet Lim Napoles, the wife of a former Marine major, has been accused
by the Department of Justice of setting up fake non-government organizations that since
2007 received lawmakers' pork barrel funds and then routed the money back to them.
The whistleblower, a former associate of Napoles, testified to the Senate in a public
hearing that the businesswoman received so much cash she would stash it in the
bathtub of her luxury Manila home. Before her arrest, Napoles denied involvement in
the scheme and said her wealth came from her family's investments in coal mining in
Indonesia. [Source: Manuel Mogato, Reuters, October 31, 2013 ^=^]
 PHILIPPINE COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY
164 Sales St., Sta. Cruz, Manila

Napoles said she had given money to 120 current and former lawmakersfar more
than the eight already facing charges over the affair. A list of alleged accomplices was
released by the Senate committee investigating the matter, prompting declarations of
innocence across the board, including from Secretary for Budget and Management
Florencio Abad, one of two serving Cabinet members named. Ms. Napoles's lawyer said
his client "is not maintaining her innocence, but she is saying that she did not envision
[the alleged scheme], did not invent it, that it was already there when she came into
play." >>>
Ms. Napoles says the scheme depended on discretionary "pork barrel" funds that
legislators receive for district projects. The Justice Department charges that the
accused pocketed the funds, after having assigned them to the fabricated NGOs. The
scandal first came to light in July after a whistleblower told the Justice Department that
he had served as a bag man in transactions between politicians, Ms. Napoles and
others. >>>
Until Ms. Napoles's latest revelations, the pork-barrel case had focused on three
senators: Juan Ponce Enrile, the Senate minority leader; Jinggoy Estrada, the son of
former President Joseph Estrada ; and Ramon Revilla Jr. , who has declared himself a
candidate for president in 2016. In September 2013, the Justice Department filed
charges with the ombudsman against the three men, as well as five House members
and 30 other individuals, including Ms. Napoles. All those accused, except Ms. Napoles,
have denied any wrongdoing. The three senators are all prominent members of the
opposition, and have claimed that the charges against them are politically motivated.
The ombudsman said last month it had found "probable cause" against the three
senators, and said proceedings against them would soon begin at the anticorruption
court. >>>

ZTE Kickback Scandal in Philippines

Zhongxing Telecommunications Equipment, or ZTE, a Chinese state-linked
manufacturing giant that sells communications gear in more than 140 countries,
allegedly paid tens of millions of dollars in kickbacks in connection with a 2007 contract.
Among those charged in connection with the case were former president Gloria
Magacapal-Arroyo, her husband and two other former senior officials. [Source: Andrew
Higgins, Washington Post, June 24, 2012 <~>]
Andrew Higgins wrote in the Washington Post, Among those charged with graft is
Benjamin Abalos Sr., the former head of the Election Commission. According to
testimony during hearings by the Philippine Senate, Abalos took large kickbacks from
ZTE in connection with a contract for the construction of a broadband network and fed
some $30 million into the campaign coffers of Philippine politicians ahead of a 2007
election. His Manila attorney, Gabby Villareal, said Abalos categorically denies
 PHILIPPINE COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY
164 Sales St., Sta. Cruz, Manila

receiving any money from ZTE. Claims that he did, the attorney said, are just hearsay.
<~>
ZTE, which has nearly 90,000 employees and last year ranked as the worlds fourth-
biggest maker of mobile phones, has issued shares on stock markets in Hong Kong and
nearby Shenzhen. It denies being state-controlled and describes itself as an
independent company. Its biggest shareholder, however, is a state-dominated entity,
as are at least seven of its other 10 largest shareholders. <~>
ZTE won its 2007 broadband network contract in the Philippines after Chinas then-
commerce minister, Bo Xilai, helped arrange a low-interest loan from a Chinese state
bank to finance the deal, which was subsequently canceled. ZTE did not address
specific allegations raised in the Philippines but said that abiding by Chinese and local
laws is a basic principle that ZTE has always followed. <~>
When rumors of ZTE kickbacks began to surface and triggered a political storm in the
Philippines, the U.S. Embassy in Manila in 2008 sent a cable to Washington reporting
that the ZTE case is typical of the deals that China reportedly uses worldwide to make
friends and buy influence. Unlike institutions such as the World Bank, according to the
cable, which was later made public by WikiLeaks, China does not link its aid to issues
such as good governance, rule of law, or respect for human rights. Public skepticism
and scrutiny have underlined shortcomings in Chinas soft power efforts. <~>
A witness list drawn up recently for the trial here at a special anti-graft court known as
Sandiganbayan includes two Chinese executives involved in the since-aborted ZTE
contract for a broadband network to link government offices. ZTEs head office in
Shenzhen said neither person now works for the company but declined to say when
they left or why. <~>
The ZTE affair has attracted the a lot of attention, thanks to intense media interest
after Senate hearings that featured detailed testimony of illicit payments. Jose De
Venecia, a businessman who first blew the whistle on alleged kickbacks, said in an
interview that his own company, Amsterdam Holdings, had proposed building a
broadband network linking government offices in 2006 and offered to do it for $130
million. ZTE later proposed doing the same for $329 million and got the contract. I put
two and two together they were overpricing to pay so-called advances, said De
Venecia, recalling a December 2006 meeting he attended with ZTE executives and the
then-head of the Philippine Election Commission in Shenzhen. The meeting, he said,
revolved around discussion of kickbacks. <~>
De Venecia, whose father served for more than a decade as speaker of the Philippine
House of Representatives and had close ties with Chinese leaders, puts most of the
blame for the broadband fiasco on officials in Manila, saying that China merely got
sucked into local shenanigans by its determination to win the contract. Officials here
 PHILIPPINE COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY
164 Sales St., Sta. Cruz, Manila

were trying to extort money from ZTE. Unfortunately, ZTE was willing to participate, De
Venecia said. ZTE is a company we will all remember. <~>

Arroyos Husband Arrested on Bribery Charges on His Role in the ZTE Case
In March 2012, Mike Arroyothe husband of former Philippine president Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyowas arrested on charges that he received millions of dollars in
bribes to push through an overpriced $330 million contract with a Chinese telecoms
supplier ZTE while Arroyo was in office. [Source: Associated Press, The Guardian,
March 13, 2012 /^/]
Associated Press reported: Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo, who was seen as a backroom
operator during his wife's troubled nine years in office, later posted bail to avoid
detention. He was indicted on the bribery charges in December 2012. He is accused of
accepting money to push through a $330 million government contract with Chinese
telecommunication company ZTE Corp. to set up a nationwide broadband network in
2007. The contract was originally priced at $130 million. His wife approved the deal but
later backtracked under public pressure and a congressional investigation that found the
contract was vastly overpriced. /^/
Mike Arroyo has denied wrongdoing and says the bribery charges are flawed because
the former president cancelled the deal. His wife, who left office in 2010, faces the same
charges as her husband, and more. She has pleaded innocent to electoral fraud
charges, but is in detention at a military hospital as she awaits trial. A former elections
chief, Benjamin Abalos, and the former transport secretary, Leandro Mendoza, also also
charged over the ZTE contract, and the courts ordered their arrests on Tuesday. They
previously testified in a senate hearing and denied receiving millions of dollars in
kickbacks. Mendoza posted bail, while Abalos is under arrest on the same electoral
fraud charge as the former president. /^/
Former economic planning secretary Romulo Neri had testified that Abalos offered him
a bribe to approve the ZTE contract. Jose de Venecia III, a losing bidder with
connections to the Arroyos' inner circle, testified that the ex-president's husband was
promised a $70 million commission. Arroyo had prevented top officials, including Neri,
from continuing to testify in the congressional inquiry. Under her successor, President
Benigno Aquino III, the Philippines' ombudsman investigated and filed charges at the
anti-corruption court, which issued the arrest warrants. If convicted, they face a
maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Aquino blames his predecessor for corruption
and says he wants to clean up the government, starting with the prosecution of the
Arroyos and their allies. The former first couple accuse Aquino of pursuing a political
vendetta. /^/
Rodolfo Lozada said he has no direct evidence or information that would link the
president's husband to the broadband deal, but he did remember having dinner with
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164 Sales St., Sta. Cruz, Manila

him, Abalos and representatives from ZTE Corp. at a hotel in Manila. [Source: Manny
Mogato, Reuters, February 8, 2008]
See Arroyo Under History

Philippine National Police: the Philippines Most Corrupt Agency

In July 2013, the Philippine National Police (PNP) was ranked as the most corrupt
institution in the Philippines, according to a survey by the Global Corruption Barometer
of the anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International. Alexis Romero wrote in the
Philippine Star, The survey showed that 69 percent of surveyed Filipinos believed
police personnel were corrupt, 64 percent believed public officials and civil servants
were affected by corruption, while 58 percent had the same view on political parties.
The media and religious institutions were perceived to be the least affected by
corruption with 14 percent and 15 percent, respectively. The military was deemed
corrupt by 43 percent of the respondents. The Global Corruption Barometer has been
gathering the corruption views and experiences of people around the world since 2003.
This years survey covered more than 114,000 respondents in 107 countries.[Source:
Alexis Romero, Philippine Star, July 11, 2013]
Armed Forces public affairs chief Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala assured the public that efforts
are underway to make the military less vulnerable to corruption. Zagala said reforms are
continuous and the survey is a manifestation of the things we need to do to improve the
peoples perception of us. The PNP has yet to issue a statement on the results of the
survey. We are not yet competent to answer that report. We will still have to look at the
report, Senior Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac, PNP-Public Information Office
chief, said. Sindac promised members of the media that an official statement of the PNP
would be issued at 3 p.m. yesterday but no statement has been issued as of press time.
[Ibid]
Low salaries are named as the main cause of police corruption. Joel D Adriano wrote in
the Asia Times, Salaries of cops are not commensurate to the risks they face. A low-
ranking police officer makes only 12,500 pesos (US$290) a month and approximately
60 percent of the police force are estimated to live below the poverty line. Many live in
squatter settlements and cannot afford to send their children to school, according to a
recent study by the University of the Philippines and the CORPS Foundation. Half of the
police officers they surveyed said that they have no bank savings. Lean economics
"leaves members of the police force vulnerable to corruption, bribery and criminal
activities", according to Pacific Strategies and Assessments, a global consulting firm.
[Source: Joel D Adriano, Asia Times, February 5, 2011]

Accounts of Police Corruption in the Philippines

 PHILIPPINE COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY
164 Sales St., Sta. Cruz, Manila

One person posted on answers.yahoo.com: During a trip to the Philippines I was

drinking at a bar in Makati. At about 2 - 3 am I left the bar intending to walk around a bit
and perhaps find another one. As soon as I walked outside of the bar a kid approached
me asking me for money. Since I only had $100 bills in my pocket I declined to give him
anything. He persisted and before long other street beggars started shouting "give the
boy some food and money!!!" I again declined and started walking away. The street
people began cussing at me and became very rude so I flipped them all off. [Source:
answers.yahoo.com */*]
I was then surrounded by them and the police were called. I believe (but am not sure)
that these police were low level or barangay police in Makati's red light district. They told
me to go with them and when I asked them why they told me that somebody has a
complaint against me. I asked who has a complaint and I was told that we would
discuss it at the police station. While on the way to the police station I asked the men to
prove that they were police and they showed me their guns. At the police station I was
told to have a seat and a police officer told me that I could settle this now or settle this in
court. I asked him what I did wrong and what I was accused of and he asked one of the
street people that had come along what the complaint was. The street person told him
that I had flipped off a boy on the street. The police officer then looked at me and told
me that was the complaint and I could settle it by giving this street lady what she wanted
or go to court. */*
I asked him if I would go to jail and the officer told me I would go to jail unless I settled
with this lady. I asked him how much it would cost me to settle and the lady replied that I
had to give her 12,000 pesos. I didn't have 12,000 pesos so I told her I didn't have it.
The policeman then responded by telling me that I should give all the money in my
pockets and if that is not enough then he will take me to an ATM machine where I can
get more money. The lady then told me that she will take dollars. I told them both that I
have committed no crime and won't give anything. The policeman then asked for my ID
and then muttered under his breath that I was going to learn the hard way and started
typing a report. At this point I became scared and paid the lady $300. She gave $200 to
the policeman and kept $100 for herself. */*

Tips on How to Handle Police Corruption in the Philippines

In response to a query advise on how to deal with situations like the one above one
person posted on answers.yahoo.com: Those cops are just looking for a free ride. I
would have given them some small amount of cash and buy them cheap beers, leave
them, and return to the bar or go home and tell everyone I know about it. If you're lucky,
there may be just a police beat reporter around the block looking for opportunities like
this. Those cops will be grilled in no time. [Source: answers.yahoo.com */*]
Another said: 1) always carry small bills. when you change money, get mostly 100
peso notes; 2) carry around hard candy like mentos, or coins to give to the kids, candy
 PHILIPPINE COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY
164 Sales St., Sta. Cruz, Manila

is better because the kids actually get it, some of the beggar kids give the money to
Fagin type characters like the Oliver story. 3) don't hang around the street arguing with
peddlers, dodge into a bar or shop to avoid them, the security at the shop or bar will
keep them out.. this is a good way to avoid scammers or pick pockets also. 4) don't flip
off anyone at 3am after you have been drinking for hours...and for that matter don't go
walking around the 'red light district' at 3 am, you fool, go to the early happy hours. 5) if
you were a drunk fool, stumblilng around arguing with pan handlers, at 3am in the 'red
light' district, in the USA, you could likely find your self in jail, and the bail would be far
greater than $300, and $300 would not pay for a 1 hour consult with a lawyer.. it could
cost many thousands of dollars to try and reduce the drunk and disorderly charge. So
consider yourself lucky, that the cops were so kind to you, to let you go with only a $300
warning. */*
Yet another said: If your ever in that situation, keep walking. The police like to think
that they are big, especially around tourists and foreingers. The only language that they
understand is not to back down - they prey on weakness. Force the police to bring you
to the police station and to file a report. I would have then told them to bring the matter
to court - and right in front of them i would have called your embassy. Then the next day
or that same day - go straight to your embassy and report what had happened in person
and tell them you had been summoned to court - and get a legal representative. You
watch the police back straight down when you get your embassy involved. Have you
reported this to your embassy? */*
Others said to pretend to call an embassy or a made-up influential friend or report the
whole incident to a radio station or another police station. Finally one person posted:
This is completely an EXTORTION CASE in their part and can be summarily
terminated or charge in court. YOU SHOULD HAVE STAND YOUR GROUND and tell
them just lock you up in jail. Actually they can't lock you up because the charge or
complaint is completely BS or non-existence. So under the Philippines law no body can
be put to jail unless there is a valid reason which is falls under the category of a crime.
And since you said you done nothing wrong then why pay them, might as well spent
your nights in jail and ask someone from your side to fetch you in the precinct or the
place they lock you in. But like I said these people are just intimidating you or scaring
you that they will put you in jail because they are demanding some money out of you.
*/*

One in Every Ten Families Gives Money or Gift for Government Service
According to the 2010 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey (APIS) conducted by the
Philippines National Statistics Office in August 2010, four in every ten families (41.3
percent) nationwide had at least one member who purposely saw a government official
or personnel or visited a government office to secure permit or licenses, pay taxes, avail
of social services or seek assistance from police or court during the 12 month-period
prior to the survey. Of those who saw a government official or personnel or went to a
 PHILIPPINE COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY
164 Sales St., Sta. Cruz, Manila

government office for the cited reasons, about 9 percent gave money or gift or favor or
anything of value to facilitate or avoid getting problems with their transaction. In this
survey, such giving of money or gift or favor or anything of value was classified into two
types: supply-driven wherein a person voluntarily gives money or gift or favor or
anything of value, and demand-driven wherein a person was asked to give it. The
survey revealed that 75 percent of families with at least one member who gave money
or gift or favor to facilitate securing or availing of a service from a government office
voluntarily gave the money or gift or favor. The other 25 percent were asked to give it.
The survey also revealed that less than one percent of those who did not voluntarily
give money or gift or favor, reported the incident to anyone in authority. [Source:
Philippine Statistics Authority, February 15, 2013]
In the survey, families were classified as poor or non-poor by grouping them into two
income strata according to their per capita income. Families who fall at the bottom 30
percent per capita income stratum were considered as poor while those at the upper 70
percent were classified as non-poor. The survey revealed that 10 percent of non-poor
families give money, gift or favor in order to facilitate their transactions with a
government office, compared to 7 percent of poor families. Among poor families who
gave money, gift, or favor to facilitate their transaction with a government office, about
32 percent did so involuntarily, compared with 24 percent among the non-poor families.
Among the regions, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao had the highest
incidence of giving money or gift or favor to facilitate their transactions with a
government office at 42 percent of families, followed by SOCCSKSARGEN (27
percent), and Central Luzon (16 percent).
The 2010 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey (APIS) is a nationwide survey covering
around 26,000 sample households. The survey is designed to provide non-income
indicators related to poverty, and provides data on the socio-economic profile of families
and other information that are related to their living conditions. In this round of APIS,
questions aimed at gathering information to describe the extent or pervasiveness of
giving money, gift or favor to facilitate securing or availing of a service from a
government office were included in order to establish an empirical baseline data on
bribery.
 PHILIPPINE COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY
164 Sales St., Sta. Cruz, Manila

Possible Solution
Its good that the Philippines is developing and rising. Have you heard the news
about the strengthening of the Peso and the growth of the Philippine stock market? Can
you feel them? Whether you feel them or not, theres a fact that we are still left behind
by other countries and even some of our neighboring countries that are already enjoying
advanced economies and high human development index. We cannot deny that millions
of families in the Philippines are still poor and millions of Filipinos are still suffering from
unemployment.

National poverty seems to be a never-ending problem in our country, and one of the
major causes and perhaps the main cause of this problem is corruption. Yes, corruption
is happening all over the world, but the corruption in the Philippines is on a high level.
With that level, we dont need just actions, but we really need real and fast actions. So
without further ado, in my own opinion.

Stop corruption of public information. Corruption in the government would be

minimized if there will be transparency and fairness in our public reports and records.
The Freedom of Information Act (FOI) must be enacted and be implemented now. Also,
the Commission on Audit (COA) should do their job to ensure that the financial records
and reports of all government agencies are fairly stated.
Stop corruption of health and nutrition. If people have a healthy mind, body, and
tummy, they would have better ways of thinking and living. But with an empty stomach
and having a sick family member who cannot afford a doctor, a person could resort to
committing a crime. Therefore, our government should focus on laws and programs that
address our basic health and food requirement, especially the need of the poor people.
Stop corruption of education. The lack of knowledge can narrow peoples decisions.
Hence, our government should intensify education in our country for all levels. We also
have to provide technical, entrepreneurial, and financial literacy. If we know more, we
can think more, and we can do better.
Stop corruption of our labourers . There should be an adequate wage hike for all
workers, whether they are in the public or in the private sector. If workers have enough
salary, fraud and corruption can be minimized, especially in the government offices.
Stop corruption of peace. More policemen and soldiers should be recruited to keep
peace and harmony in all the corners of our nation. The government should also
strengthen its campaign for peace in Mindanao. Furthermore, we have to make a firm
stand and protect our country from international threats.
Stop corruption of morality. We have to protect the young ones from corrupting their
minds. There should be strict regulations on media. The MTRCB should do their best to
keep away our children from inappropriate materials on TVs or on the Internet.
Stop corruption of our natural resources. The DENR, Department of Tourism, local
government units, private companies, and all of us should help each other in protecting
 PHILIPPINE COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY
164 Sales St., Sta. Cruz, Manila

our environment. Our government should implement more laws and programs to strictly
protect our natural resources.
Stop corruption of our national heritage. We should honor and not forget what our
ancestors did to us. We should always remember the patriotism and sacrifices made by
our heroes in the past just to let us enjoy our freedom now. We should follow their
loyalty and nationalism, and condemn treachery.
Stop corruption in the churches. Religious organizations are supposed to practice
charity. They are supposed to teach people how to live a holy and uncorrupted life. But
are they really doing that? Hence, we have to require all religious organizations in the
country to be registered and regulated. They should all be monitored if they are really
practicing charity and holiness.
Stop corruption at home. Parents play a vital role in forming the personalities of their
children when they grow up. Thus, the government, through DSWD, should ensure that
there will be no children who will be abused at home. The government should also
implement intensive programs that will teach couples to be more responsible parents.
Stop corruption of law and justice. Everyone should respect the law, whether its
about plunder, theft, murder, or simply jaywalking. There are many corrupt people in our
country because there are many Filipinos who dont honor our law. Whether the law
offender is a top government official or an ordinary citizen, there should be no
exemption if someone is guilty, then he or she must go to jail if thats the punishment.
Stop corruption of your vote. Finally, if we want to stop corrupt political leaders in our
country, we must stop from making corrupted votes. A single corrupted vote can give
birth to a corrupt leader. Therefore, we have to protect our vote from any corruption. We
have to protect it from ignorance and the lust for money.

If we want to stop corruption in the Philippines, we should stop all corruptions that are
happening inside the Philippines. We should fight all the corrupt Filipinos, whether they
are politicians or they are just simply ourselves. Our country needs your love, whether
youre the president of the Philippines or simply an ordinary civilian trying to make a
simple living. And to have that love, you need to have a heart a heart that is free from
the corruption of hatred, greed, selfishness, fear, laziness, and hopelessness.