EDITORIAL - Most corrupt

The Armed Forces of the Philippines is crying foul over being ranked as the most corrupt government agency. In a recent Pulse Asia survey, the AFP edged out agencies that have perennially topped corruption polls – the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Bureau of Customs – with 48.9 percent of the respondents picking the military.

The 48.9 percent was a dramatic jump from the 8.1 percent recorded in a similar poll taken in February 2009. The latest ranking undoubtedly resulted from the ongoing congressional probe into corruption in the AFP, with military generals and their wives implicated in shady deals. Incumbent AFP officers as well as several retired military chiefs of staff have told lawmakers that the practices and systems that gave rise to corruption, including fund “conversions” and pabaon or cash sendoff gifts to AFP chiefs, have been amended or scrapped after the scandal involving former comptroller Carlos Garcia erupted.

It will take more than reassurances from AFP officers that they have plugged opportunities for corruption to improve the public image of the military. That image makeover will take time, with people looking out for evidence of lavish lifestyles not just among AFP officers but also among their wives and children. The public will compare these lifestyles with the welfare of ordinary soldiers. Transparency in budget and procurement processes in the AFP will also help. Several units have started posting supply requisitions and expenditures on their websites.

Public perceptions change. In the case of the AFP, it must make sure an improvement in its public image will arise from genuine reform efforts and not from the involvement of another agency in a corruption scandal. The same is true for the Philippine National Police, which was picked by 26.6 percent of the respondents in the Pulse Asia survey, making it the second most corrupt government agency, ahead of the DPWH. For the worst-rated agencies, the results of the survey should serve as a challenge to intensify reforms.