PH hits lowest corruption score since 2012; Palace calls drop ‘expected’ amid flood control probe

The Philippines obtained a score of 32 in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), marking the country’s lowest rating since the current scoring system was adopted by the anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International in 2012.

Published on February 10, the index ranked the Philippines 120th out of 182 countries, reflecting a continued decline from previous years, with scores of 33 in 2024 and 34 in 2023.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro on Feb. 11 explained that this worsening perception of corruption was expected, particularly as President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. opened investigations into the issue of flood control anomalies.

“Expected po iyan dahil binuksan po ng Pangulo ang isyu tungkol sa korapsyon. So, kung binuksan ng Pangulo ang korapsyon, magkakaroon ng pag-iimbestiga, at ito po ang ninais ng Pangulo, maimbestigahan,” said Castro during a press briefing.

She added that the investigation has uncovered previously hidden issues, and that the president has been working to address the “dirt of past” administrations.

“So expected po talaga na mabubunyag ang korapsyon na naganap noong nakaraan, at sa paglilinis pong ito, makikita po nila ang pagbabago para mas makita nila na pinipigilan at tinatanggal na ang korapsyon sa pamahalaan,” Castro noted, explaining the administration’s efforts to uncover irregularities in the government.

When asked which administration she was referring to regarding the “dirt of the past,” the undersecretary did not specify.

The Philippines also scored below the new global average of 42, while over two-thirds of the countries assessed scored below 50.

The CPI measures how corrupt a country’s public sector is perceived to be by experts and businesspeople, with scores ranging from zero for highly corrupt to 100 for very clean.

Among its neighbors in Southeast Asia, the Philippines ranked as the third most corrupt country, following Cambodia at 163rd and Myanmar at 169th.

Denmark leads the index with a score of 89, while Somalia and South Sudan sit at the very bottom, both earning a CPI of 9 and sharing the 181st position.