(Eagle News)—The Philippines’ ranking in the Corruption Perception Index 2018 has improved, with the country moving up 12 notches.
Transparency International said the Philippines ranks 99th out of 180 countries, with a score of 36, or two points more than the 34 it got in 2017.
The country shares the spot with Albania, Bahrain, Colombia, Tanzania and Thailand.
According to Transparency International, there was “little to no progress on anti-corruption” in the Asia Pacific where the Philippines is.
The group said this was due to the “overall weakening of democratic institutions and political rights.”
“Democracies have the necessary checks and balances, like judicial independence, which is key to the sustainability of any anti-corruption enforcement plan. Without these and other democratic institutions and practices, countries cannot expect to tackle corruption effectively,” the group said.
According to Transparency International, the country where there was the least corruption was Denmark, with a score of 88.
Denmark was followed by New Zealand, with a score of 87.
Other countries where there was less corruption, according to Transparency International, were Finland, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Netherlands, Canada and Luxembourg.
Somalia, South Sudan and Syria, on the other hand, were the countries with the “most corruption,” the group said.