The Philippines -
a topnotcher again
Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications,
Inc. |
NINFA R. LEONARDIA
Editor-in-Chief & President |
CARLA
P. GOMEZ
Editor
GUILLERMO TEJIDA III
Desk Editor
NANETTE L. GUADALQUIVER
Busines Editor
CEDELF P. TUPAS
Sports Editor (On Leave)
RENE GENOVE
Bureau Chief, Dumaguete
MAJA P. DELY
Advertising Coordinator
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CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA
Administrative Officer |
Once again the Philippines has topped a survey, but it is not
a distinction that we can brag about.
The results of the one conducted by the Political and Economic
Risk Consultancy that were released to the international media yesterday
showed our country as Asia's "most corrupt economy". In its report,
PERC said, not without a touch of irony,
"The Philippines has the distinction of being perceived in the
worst light this year." Although our officials promptly scoffed
at the disclosure as inaccurate, or based on passé information,
PERC also reported that it had polled 1,476 expatriate business
executives in 13 countries and territories all over Asia in January
and February.
The release of the PERC report just now is dismaying because
we have been trumpeting our accomplishments finance-wise and our
supposedly favorable responses from investors from other countries
whom we have invited to come here. No matter how we try to gloss
over the PERC study, it cannot be denied that it will affect the
decisions of those who might have been contemplating on bringing
their capital over.
It might be some consolation to hear another comment in the
PERC report which says the situation has not really worsened because
"It is bad and has been bad all along. People are just growing tired
of the inaction and the insincerity of leading officials when they
promise to fight corruption."
Although Indonesia also ranked poorly, PERC noted that the
efforts of its president to crack down on corruption has produced
some positive results.
Perhaps we should follow the example of China and Vietnam whose
tight censorship prohibits the publication of bad news so investors
do not know what is happening. But let us hope our government does
not take a cue from this, because there is already a perception
that is where we might be leading.*
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