F

The Philippines and ASEAN’s

Performance in the Corruption
Perception INDEX, 2021

The 2021 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) reveals

acts
that all regions worldwide are at a standstill when it in
igures
comes to fighting public sector corruption. Many high-
scoring countries with relatively “clean” public sectors
continue to allow transnational corruption (Transparency
International, 2021). In the current health crisis, the
Transparency International (TI) report stated that the
Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department
global COVID-19 pandemic has been used in many
House of Representatives
countries as an excuse to curtail basic freedoms and January 2022 (No. 05)
side-step important checks and balances. To curtail this,
TI highlighted the importance of accountability alongside
the rollout of economic recovery plans. New Zealand with scores of 88. Other countries which
made it to the top 10 performing countries in the 2021
The CPI 2021 report ranks 180 countries and territories CPI are Norway, Singapore, and Sweden which attained
globally by their perceived levels of public sector 4th rank and scores of 85 each; Switzerland at 7th rank
corruption. The CPI scores range from 0 (highly corrupt) and score of 84; Netherlands, 8th rank (score of 82);
to 100 (very clean). The data used by the TI to measure Luxembourg, 9th rank (81); and Germany, 10th rank (80).
the CPI covers bribery, diversion of public funds, officials The countries with positive/improved ranks and scores
using public office for private gain, ability of governments in the 2021 CPI compared to 2020 are Finland, Norway,
to contain corruption in the public sector, and laws and Luxembourg. On the other hand, the countries
ensuring that public officials disclose their finances and which had declines in their CPI ranks and scores for
potential conflict of interest, among others. 2021 from 2020 are Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland,
and Germany.
Table 1
The Philippines and Top 10 Performing Countries The Philippines, on the other hand, attained scores of
by Rank and Score, as of 1st Quarter, 2022
34 (2020) and 33 (2021) which placed the country at the
Change
2021 2020 115th rank and 117th rank for 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Country Inc/(Dec)
Rank Score Rank Score Rank Score During these two years, COVID-19 pandemic started
Denmark 1 88 1 88 0 0 and worsened, and adversely impacted the economy
Finland 1 88 3 85 2 3
New
especially in matters pertaining to health and mobility.
1 88 1 88 0 0
Zealand Table 2
Norway 4 85 7 84 3 1 Bottom 10 Performing Countries, Worldwide
Singapore 4 85 3 85 -1 0 by Rank and Score, as of 1st Quarter, 2022
Sweden 4 85 3 85 -1 0 Change
2021 2020
Country Inc/(Dec)
Switzerland 7 84 3 85 -4 -1
Rank Score Rank Score Rank Score
Netherlands 8 82 8 82 0 0
Turkmenistan 169 19 170 18 1 1
Luxembourg 9 81 9 80 0 1
Equatorial
Germany 10 80 9 80 -1 0 172 17 174 16 2 1
Guinea
Philippines 117 33 115 34 -2 -1 Libya 172 17 173 17 1 0
Source of Data: Corruption Perception Index 2021 Afghanistan 174 16 165 19 -9 -3
North Korea 174 16 170 18 -4 -2
Table 1 shows the top performing countries in the CPI Yemen 174 16 176 15 2 1
2021 worldwide, with their CPI ranks, scores, and Venezuela 177 14 176 15 -1 -1
changes in their performance compared to the 2020 Somalia 178 13 179 12 1 1
CPI. The highest score for 2020 and 2021 is 88 Syria 178 13 178 14 0 -1
South Sudan 180 11 179 12 -1 -1
and was attained by Denmark and New Zealand.
Source of Data: Corruption Perception Index 2021
These two countries also ranked 1st for two years
(2020 and 2021). In the case of Finland, the country Table 2 presents the bottom 10 performing countries
ranked 3rd in 2020 with a score of 85, alongside and economies worldwide, together with their
Singapore, Sweden, and Switzerland. For 2021, respective CPI scores, ranks and changes, for 2020
Finland ranked 1st together with Denmark and and 2021. The lowest ranking country in the 2021 CPI
is South Sudan with score of 11. In 2020, South Sudan Table 4
CPI Performance of ASEAN 10 Member-Countries
attained a score of 12 and ranked 179th, which is also by Score, 2017-2021
the least rank. The country’s scores and ranks for 2021 Score
Country
decreased by one point each compared to 2020. Somalia 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
and Syria, on the other hand, both attained scores of Philippines 34 36 34 34 33
Brunei 62 63 60 60 -
13 in 2021 with rank of 178 for both. While Somalia’s
Cambodia 21 20 20 21 23
score in 2021 (13) increased by one point from 2020
Indonesia 37 38 40 37 38
(12), the score of Syria for 2021 (13) decreased by one Laos 29 29 29 29 30
point from 14 in 2020. Other countries which belong Malaysia 47 47 53 51 48
to the bottom 10 in the 2021 CPI are Turkmenistan, Myanmar 30 29 29 28 28
Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Afghanistan, North Korea, Singapore 84 85 85 85 85
Thailand 37 36 36 36 35
Yemen, and Venezuela.
Vietnam 35 33 37 36 39
Source of Data: Corruption Perception Index 2021
The countries and territories which have positive
changes in their ranks and scores in the CPI 2021 Table 4 presents the CPI scores of the ASEAN 10
compared to 2020 are Turkmenistan, Equatorial member-countries from 2017 to 2021. The CPI score
Guinea, Libya, Yemen, and Somalia. Meanwhile, the is from a scale of zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very
countries which had declines in their CPI scores and clean). The highest scores among the ASEAN 10 are
ranks for 2021 compared to 2020 are Afghanistan, 84 to 85 which were attained by Singapore from 2017
North Korea, Venezuela, Syria, and South Sudan. to 2021. With 85 as Singapore’s score in the 2021 CPI,
the country is ranked as top 4 among 180 countries
and territories worldwide. The second highest scores
Table 3
CPI Performance of ASEAN 10 Member-Countries among ASEAN were achieved by Brunei at 60 (2019-
(MCs) by Rank, 2017-2021 2020); 62 (2017); and 63 (2018).
Rank
Country
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Meanwhile, the Philippines attained scores of 33 (2021);
Philippines 111 99 113 115 117 34 (2017, 2019, 2020); and 36 (2018). The country’s
Brunei 32 31 35 35 - score of 33 in 2021 is lower by one point compared
Cambodia 161 161 162 160 157 to its score in 2020 (34). This was during worldwide
Indonesia 96 89 85 102 96 lockdowns, enhanced community quarantines, travel/
Laos 135 132 130 134 128
mobility restrictions, heightened illness of COVID-19,
resulting in high demand for health care, medicines,
Malaysia 62 61 51 57 62
and facilities.
Myanmar 130 132 130 137 140
Singapore 6 3 4 3 4 Table 5
Significant Changes in CPIS of ASEAN MCs
Thailand 96 99 101 104 110
by Score, 2021 vs. 2012
Vietnam 107 117 96 104 87
Country 2021 2012 Inc/ (Dec)
Source of Data: Corruption Perception Index 2021 Philippines 33 34 -1
Cambodia 23 22 1
Table 3 illustrates the rankings of ASEAN 10 member- Indonesia 38 32 6
countries (MC) in the CPIs from 2017 to 2021. The Laos 30 21 9
country which consistently belonged to the top 10 ranks Malaysia 48 49 -1
Myanmar 28 15 13
worldwide, from 2017-2021, is Singapore. Singapore
Singapore 85 87 -2
ranked 3rd (2018 and 2020); 4th (2019 and 2021); and 6th
Thailand 35 37 -2
(2017). Brunei is the second high ranking ASEAN MC Vietnam 39 31 8
which attained global rank of 31st (2018); 32nd (2017); Source of Data: Corruption Perception Index 2021
and 35th (2019-2020), For 2021, Brunei’s score and
The TI started the CPI in 2012. For 10 years, (as
rank were not registered.
of 2021), Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and
Meanwhile, in the case of the Philippines, the country Thailand recorded declines in their CPIs compared to
ranked 111th in the 2017 CPI. The Philippines’ rank 2012 figures by -1 to -2 points (Table 5). Cambodia,
improved to 99th in 2018 but declined to 113th in 2019, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam recorded
then afterwards declined further to 115th (2020) and improvements in their CPIs in 2021; the highest
117th (2021). It can be noted that the height of the improvement is by Myanmar at 13 points, from a
COVID-19 pandemic was during 2020 and 2021. score of 15 (2012) to 28 (2021).