Philippines Country Profile

Police

Individual Corruption

According to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada 2006, the traffic police in the Philippines are particularly corrupt and often demand bribes from traffic offenders. According to the US Department of State 2009, the general public believes that there are problems with corruption within the Philippine National Police (PNP). The PNP is often accused of illegal acts, such as extorting bribes and facilitating trafficking and torture.

Business Corruption

According to Transparency International Bribe Payers Index 2008, business executives perceive the police to be the second most corrupt public institution in the Philippines. Global Integrity 2008 further states that the police are under-funded and that corrupt practices of police officers aggravate the situation. According to the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010, companies are critical of the police's reliability to protect them from crime and to respond to crimes committed against them, which constitutes a competitive disadvantage.

Political Corruption

According to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada 2006, former President Arroyo has stated that corruption within the police force poses an obstacle to national security. Police corruption is suspected to have been a factor behind the escape of terrorists from Philippine police custody.

The collective action aspect of police corruption was substantiated in a May 2005 article by the Guardian, according to which, all 529 officers of the North Abra provincial force were transferred amidst reports of corruption and links to organised crime.

Frequency

World Economic Forum: The Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010:
- Business executives give the reliability of the Philippines' police services to enforce law and order a score of 3.5 on a 7-point scale (1 'cannot be relied upon at all' and 7 'can always be relied upon').

The World Bank & IFC: Enterprise Surveys 2009:
- 11.7% of the companies surveyed identify crime, theft and disorder as major constraints to doing business.

Transparency International: Global Corruption Barometer 2009:
- 19% of households who had contact with the police in 2008 report to have paid a bribe.

Transparency International: Bribe Payers Index 2008:
- Business executives give police a score of 4.1 on a 5-point scale (1 'not at all corrupt' and 5 'extremely corrupt').