'Failed leadership is main cause of dip in Philippine
global corruption rating'--Kiko

Majority Leader and Independent senator Kiko Pangilinan today asserted that failed leadership, not Philippine media, is the main cause of the country's dismal global corruption rating. Administration officials have been quick to blame negative news reports for the country's performance in the latest Transparency International survey.

"Huwag na nating ipasa sa iba ang sisi. It's not fair to blame media for reporting the government's shortcomings," insisted Kiko. "The old ways of politics and governance have failed and our national political leaders have failed us miserably these past several decades now. Proof of this is how other nations' economies have overtaken us while we export our labor force as super maids abroad."

The Philippines' 2008 corruption rating in Transparency International's Global Corruption Report dipped 10 points from last year. This placed the country in 141st position among 180 nations surveyed. Perceived to be less corrupt and more transparent were Singapore (second place), Hong Kong ranked (12th), Japan (18th), Taiwan (39th), South Korea (40th), Macau (43rd), Bhutan (45th), Malaysia (47th), China (72nd), Thailand (80th), India (85th), Sri Lanka (92nd), Mongolia (102nd), and Pakistan (134th). Tied at 126th place were Vietnam and Indonesia. The latter lagged behind the Philippines in the 2007 poll. There were, on the other hand, only five Asian countries perceived more corrupt: Timor-Leste, Bangladesh, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar (179th only ahead of the last, Somalia). This was the Philippines' lowest rating since the survey was first conducted in 1995.

"This rating is a disgrace. It serves as our report card from the world. Walang tigil naman kasi ang anomalya sa gobyerno. Sa araw-araw na lang ay ginagawang agahan ng taumbayan ang mga ulat na ganito. Dapat kumilos na tayo. Tama na ang bulok na pamamahala. Itama na ang mga gawain para sa makabagong pulitika. Our people, our leaders will have to reject 'politics as usual' and embrace the politics of performance, courage and conviction. We must look to political leaders with vision, principles and conviction if we are to progress as a nation. Let's find new methods and new approaches to governance and political leadership in the country."