Pulse Asia's February 2009 Nationwide Survey on Corruption

Pulse Asia is pleased to share with you some findings on Corruption from the February 2009 Ulat ng Bayan national survey. We request you to assist us in informing the public by disseminating this information.

The survey fieldwork was conducted from February 2 to 15, 2009 using face-to-face interviews. In the period prior to and during the conduct of this survey, the news headlines focused on the alleged bribery of several officials from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in relation to a drug case; the reported bid rigging behind road projects in the country being funded by the World Bank (WB); the planned automation of the May 2010 elections; the revival of congressional discussions on constitutional amendments; controversies involving the Supreme Court including the aborted plan to file impeachment charges against Chief Justice Reynato Puno; the closure of some companies and the laying off of workers both here and abroad; the Arroyo administration’s efforts to create jobs and provide assistance to laid off workers; and, the US Presidential election and the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

As in our previous surveys, this nationwide survey is based on a sample of 1,200 representative adults 18 years old and above. It has a ± 3% error margin at the 95% confidence level.  Subnational estimates for each of the geographic areas covered in the survey (i.e., Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao) have a ± 6% error margin, also at 95% confidence level. Those interested in further technical details concerning the survey's questionnaire and sampling design may request Pulse Asia in writing for fuller details, including copies of the pre-tested questions actually used.  

Pulse Asia’s pool of academic fellows takes full responsibility for the design and conduct of the survey, as well as for analyses it makes based on the survey data. In keeping with our academic nature, no religious, political, economic, or partisan group influenced any of these processes.  Pulse Asia undertakes Ulat ng Bayan surveys on its own without any party singularly commissioning the research effort.

For any clarification or questions, kindly contact Prof. Ronald D. Holmes, Pulse Asia President at 09189335497 or Prof. Ana Maria Tabunda, Pulse Asia Chief Research Fellow at 09189436816.

The cancelled ZTE-NBN broadband project, the fertilizer fund scam, the bid rigging in road projects funded by the World Bank (WB), the reported attempts to bribe agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and prosecutors of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to have drug charges against three suspects dropped – these are only a few of the recent major controversies concerning allegations of corruption in the Philippine government.  Amidst these developments, Pulse Asia probed into Filipinos’ perceptions as regards the most and least corrupt government agencies[1] as well as their personal experience with graft and corruption.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is viewed as the most corrupt government agency while the Department of Education (DepEd) tops the list of least corrupt agencies

For 32% of Filipinos, the DPWH is the most corrupt agency of the Philippine government.  In second place is the Philippine National Police (PNP) with 21% considering it as most corrupt.  Essentially the same percentages (15% to 19%) cite the Department of Agriculture (DA), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Department of Education (DepEd), and Bureau of Customs (BOC).  Interestingly, while the DepEd is identified as most corrupt by 15% of Filipinos, 20% deem it as one of the least corrupt government agencies in the country.  In the list of least corrupt government agencies, the DepEd is followed by the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), which are seen as least corrupt by 13% and 11% of Filipinos, respectively.  The other government agencies are mentioned as either most or least corrupt by less than one in ten Filipinos (8% or less) (See Tables 1a and 1b).

Additionally, while only 8% did not consider any government agency as graft-ridden, 33% did not identify any agency as having hardly any or no corruption at all.  On the other hand, 18% either cannot say or do not know which agencies are most corrupt while about the same percentage (19%) expresses the same sentiment when asked to name the least corrupt government agencies in the country (See Table 1b).

Filipinos without any personal experience of corruption outnumber those who have personally witnessed any incidence of corruption (86% versus 14%); most of those with personal experience opted to keep silent about the matter (81%)

Most Filipinos (86%) claim not to have any personal experience of graft or corruption.  This is also reported by big majorities (83% to 90%) in all geographic areas and socio-economic classes.  In contrast, only 14% report having personally witnessed any instance of graft or corruption, with practically the same figures being recorded across geographic areas and socio-economic groupings (10% to 17%).  These figures do not differ significantly from those obtained by Pulse Asia in August 2003 when these probes were last included in the Ulat ng Bayan survey (See Table 2).

Unfortunately, a big majority (81%) of those who have personally witnessed any instance of corruption decided to keep silent about the incident – an act resorted to by 59% to 91% across geographic areas and socio-economic classes.  The option to keep silent may appear to be the most reasonable action to take in light of the experiences of the whistleblowers in publicized cases (e.g., Engr. Rodolfo Lozada, Jr. in the ZTE-NBN broadband contract).  Back in August 2003, fewer (58%) of those who have personally experienced corruption opted to keep silent.  The other actions taken by those who have personally experienced corruption are cited by about the same percentages in August 2003 and February 2009 (See Table 2).

More Filipinos are concerned about corruption in February 2009 than in July and October 2008; about one in two Filipinos (53%) is critical of the Arroyo administration’s efforts to fight corruption in government

Nearly half of Filipinos (45%) cite graft and corruption as one of the national issues that must be immediately addressed by the Arroyo administration – higher than the July and October 2008 figures by 14 and 9 percentage points, respectively. (The most often-cited urgent national concern is inflation.)  Of the nine issues probed by Pulse Asia in October 2008 and February 2009, it is only the level of concern for graft and corruption that increased during this period (See Table 3).   Moreover, a majority of Filipinos (53%) is critical of the Arroyo administration’s efforts to fight corruption in government – the only majority disapproval rating obtained by the national administration in February 2009.  On the other hand, 21% of Filipinos are appreciative of the administration’s anti-corruption initiatives while 26% are ambivalent on the matter (See Table 4).  These figures do not differ significantly from those obtained by the Arroyo administration in October 2008 (See Table 5).

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[1] The probes concerning most and least corrupt government agencies are open-ended questions, with respondents being allowed to name a maximum of five government agencies.