(Update) Customs, BIR, DPWH most insincere in fighting corruption --SWS survey
By Jesus F. Llanto, Abs-cbnNews.com/Newsbreak | 11/21/2008 11:42 AM
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Only 8 out 30 government agencies have become more sincere in fighting corruption, a business survey on corruption by the Social Weather Stations showed.
The 2008 Survey of Enterprises on Corruption showed improvements in ratings of sincerity in fighting corruption of the city/municipal government, the Department of Health, the Commission on Audit, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Senate, the Department of Justice, the Philippine National Police and the Commission on Elections.
The survey—the eighth SWS business survey on corruption since 2000—asked managers of 402 enterprises in Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao from Sept. 9-October 10, 2008 to rate 30 government agencies in terms of their sincerity in fighting corruption.
The institutions are ranked in terms in net sincerity—the difference between the percentage rating an agency as very/somewhat sincere and the percentage rating as very/somewhat insincere.
The ratings of the eight agencies with improved sincerity in fighting corruption are as follows: City/municipal government (from +27 in 2007 to +35 in 2008), DOH (+29 to +30), COA (from +21 to +23), AFP (from -10 to +6), Senate (from -7 to -6), DOJ ( from -21 to -17), PNP ( from -25 to -18) and COMELEC (from -36 to 27).
Best performers: Filipino business associations, SSS
The survey showed that Filipino business associations, the Social Security System, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Supreme Court and city/municipal governments are the most sincere in fighting corruption.
Filipino business associations received the highest net rating of +64 while SSS was the highest rated government agency with a net rating of +46 and was among the agencies that have good rating (net rating of +31 to +50).
Among the agencies that received good ratings were DT1 (+42), Supreme Court (+37) and the city/municipal government (+35).
Meanwhile, agencies that received moderate net ratings (+11 to +30) were DOH (+30), the COA (+23), and Department of Finance (+15).
Seven agencies were classified as mediocre in their fight against corruption and had a net rating that ranges from -10 to +10. Among these were DepEd (+7), AFP (+6), the anti-graft court Sandigabayan (+5), Office of the Ombudsman (+4), trial courts (-5), the Senate (-6) and the Department of Budget and Management (-7).
Most insincere: Bureau of Customs, DPWH, and BIR
Revenue collecting institutions and the Department of Public Works and Highways were perceived as most insincere in fighting corruption and received net ratings beyond -50.
Former finance secretary Roberto de Ocampo said the revenue-generating agencies have always been the bane of the finance department.
The Bureau of Customs received the lowest net rating (-72) while DPWH and the Bureau of Internal Revenue got -63 and -56, respectively.
Meanwhile, the three agencies were rated as “bad” and got scores ranging from -31 to -50. These agencies included the House of Representatives (-41), Philippine Commission on Good Government (-32), and the Land Transportation Office (-32).
Ten agencies got net score of -11 to -30 and are classified as poor. The agencies with poor ratings included the Government Service Insurance System (-12), the Department of Agriculture (-17), Department of Justice (-17), Philippine National Police (-18), Department of Interior and Local Government (-23), Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (-23), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (-25), Commission on Elections (-27), Department of Transportation and Communication (-27) and the Office of the President (-27).
No improvement in public sector
The survey also showed that the perception of corruption in the public sector did not improve, with three out of five seeing “a lot” of corruption
in the public sector. The same survey also revealed that seven out of 10 companies were asked for a bribe in an index-transaction
The feelings that the government can be run without corruption, the survey also showed, are weakening.
“It’s a sign of cynicism, weariness and fatigue,” SWS president Mahar Mangahas told reporters.
Falling ratings of anti-corruption agencies
Former DBM Secretary Emilia Boncodin, meanwhile, expressed her worry over the declining ratings of anti-corruption agencies like the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan, the Office of the Ombudsman and the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission.
The Sandiganbayan’s net rating declined from +15 in 2007 to +5 in 2008 while the Ombudsman’s score dipped to +4 from last year’s +9. The rating of PAGC, meanwhile, plunged from -5 last year to -23.
“The line agencies are the usual suspects but even the ratings of the guardians of ethics in the government are falling,” Boncodin said.
Former ombudsman Simeon Marcelo, meanwhile, said that anti-corruption agencies should go after the erring high-ranking officials because even if they go after many low-ranking government officials, their efforts will only have a little impact.
“The Sandiganbayan got high rating last year because of the conviction of former president Joseph Estrada,” Marcelo told abs-cbnNews.com/Newsbreak.
Transparency, change of mindset
Boncodin said there is need to pass bills on access to information and on whistleblowers because they can help in fighting corruption. Government agencies, she added, should be more transparent.
“No government agency publishes their audit reports,” Boncodin said. “What you see on their websites are the faces of officials and their propaganda."
De Ocampo, meanwhile, said that there is a need for a change of mindset in the government by having a “lack of denial mode”.
