bodyType

customContents

entityId

printArticlePageQuery

filter

article

body

urlAlias

articleSectionsContent

articleSeoArticle

articleSourceHeaderArticle

contentSchemaRenderContent

contentSubHeadlineContent

contentHeadlineContent

mainImagePrintArticleArticle

authorBlockPrintArticleArticle

contentSponsorTagContent

articlePianoPaywallContent

scmpYoutubeContent

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

query printArticlePageQuery(
  $entityId: String!
  $customContents: [CustomContentInput]
  $bodyType: BodyFormatTypeEnum
) {
  article(filter: {entityId: $entityId}) {
    entityId
    body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
      json
    }
    urlAlias
    ...articleSectionsContent
    ...articleSeoArticle_3o8td4
    ...articleSourceHeaderArticle
    ...contentSchemaRenderContent
    ...contentSubHeadlineContent
    ...contentHeadlineContent
    ...mainImagePrintArticleArticle
    ...authorBlockPrintArticleArticle
    ...contentSponsorTagContent
    ...articlePianoPaywallContent
    ...scmpYoutubeContent
    ...hooksTrackPageViewArticle
    id
  }
}

fragment articlePianoPaywallContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksPaywallPromiseContent
}

fragment articleSectionsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      ...helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection
      ...entityLink
      name
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment articleSeoArticle_3o8td4 on Article {
  ...hooksArticleSeoArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersGetArticleTypeArticle
  entityId
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
  summary {
    text
  }
  subHeadline {
    text
  }
  body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
    text
  }
  keywords
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  topics {
    name
    entityId
    id
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  images {
    style(filter: {style: "768x768"}) {
      url
    }
  }
  readingTime
}

fragment articleSourceHeaderArticle on Article {
  urlAlias
  ...entityLink
}

fragment authorBlockPrintArticleArticle on Article {
  ...defaultArticleDateContent
  ...authorNamesArticle
}

fragment authorNameAuthor on Author {
  ...entityLink
  name
  entityUuid
}

fragment authorNamesArticle on Article {
  authorLocations
  authors {
    entityId
    location
    ...authorNameAuthor
    id
  }
}

fragment blockquoteQuoteContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment contentHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  socialHeadline
  ...contentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
}

fragment contentNewsletterWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
    id
  }
  sections {
    value {
      relatedNewsletters {
        ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
        id
      }
      id
    }
  }
  ... on Article {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment contentSchemaRenderContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...blockquoteQuoteContent
  ...imageContent
  ...inlineWidgetContent
  ...photoGalleryWidgetContent
  ...scmpYoutubeContent
}

fragment contentShareWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  shortUrl
  socialHeadline
  headline
}

fragment contentSponsorTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentSubHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  subHeadline {
    json
  }
  summary {
    json
  }
  ...contentSchemaRenderContent
}

fragment defaultArticleDateContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksArticleDateUtilsContent
}

fragment entityLink on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  __typename
  entityId
  entityUuid
  urlAlias
  urlRedirect {
    toUrl
    id
  }
  application {
    entityId
    id
  }
  ... on Section {
    fullSectionPath {
      entityId
      id
    }
    parentSection
  }
  ...helpersAppBarVariantBase
  ...helpersApplicationBase
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersAppBarVariantBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsLiveArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...helpersSectionContent
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersApplicationBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
}

fragment helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection on Section {
  name
}

fragment helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle on Article {
  entityId
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  disableOffPlatformContent
  sponsorType
  published
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment helpersCheckIsLiveArticle on Article {
  flattenTypeIds
  liveArticle {
    status
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    paywallTypes {
      entityUuid
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsStyleArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersGetArticleTypeArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        entityId
        id
      }
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter on Newsletter {
  entityId
  name
  alternativeName
  description {
    text
  }
  summary {
    text
  }
  homepageDescription {
    text
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle on Article {
  authors {
    types
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersStyleSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersUseContentSponsorContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    sponsor {
      ...sponsorTagSponsor
      name
      type
      id
    }
    id
  }
  ... on Article {
    sponsorType
  }
  ...helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent
}

fragment hooksArticleDateUtilsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  createdDate
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
}

fragment hooksArticleSeoArticle on Article {
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle
  entityId
  headline
  socialHeadline
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
  images {
    generic_og: style(filter: {style: "og_image_scmp_generic"}) {
      url
    }
    styles(filter: {styles: ["og_image_posties_article", "og_postmag", "og_image_style", "og_image_scmp_analysis", "og_image_scmp_explainer", "og_image_scmp_editorial", "og_image_scmp_fact_check", "og_image_scmp_debate", "og_image_scmp_live", "og_image_scmp_obituary", "og_image_scmp_opinion", "og_image_scmp_review", "og_image_scmp_series", "og_image_scmp_generic"]}) {
      url
      style
    }
    type
  }
  urlAlias
}

fragment hooksContentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        name
        entityId
        description {
          text
        }
        id
      }
    }
    ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  }
  flag
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  ...hooksContentHelperContent
}

fragment hooksContentHelperContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle
  ...helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle
  ...helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle
  flag
}

fragment hooksPaywallPromiseContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment hooksTrackPageViewArticle on Article {
  entityId
  publishedDate
  headline
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  entityUuid
}

fragment imageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  ...checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent
}

fragment inlineWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentNewsletterWidgetContent
}

fragment mainImagePrintArticleArticle on Article {
  images {
    title
    url
    isSlideshow
    size_652x446: style(filter: {style: "652x446"}) {
      url
    }
  }
}

fragment photoGalleryDialogContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment photoGalleryWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...photoGalleryDialogContent
}

fragment scmpYoutubeContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  publishedDate
}

fragment sponsorTagSponsor on Sponsor {
  name
  type
  images {
    url
  }
}


sections

types

disableOffPlatformContent

sponsorType

published

headline

socialHeadline

authors

images

publishedDate

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

keywords

topics

readingTime

authorLocations

entityUuid

Raissa Robles

Alan Robles

Despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign boast that he would eliminate corruption in the Philippines, the country’s rating in Transparency International’s 2020 Corruption Perception Index remained at the same level as last year and one notch lower than when he began his presidency in 2016.
By most accounts, corruption has worsened under Duterte and, by his own admission, the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown to stem its spread have become lucrative sources of graft.
The index, which was released on Thursday by the Berlin-based NGO, gave the Philippines a rating of 34 for 2020, the same score it received last year and a decrease from the 35 in 2016, which was Duterte’s first year in office.
The Philippines’ score was also 34 in 2017 but improved to 36 in 2018. The Philippines shared its 34 score with Moldova, and they were both tied for 115th place out of the 180 countries and territories surveyed.


According to TI, the ratings run from zero, or “highly corrupt” – to 100, or “very clean”. The ratings were derived using expert assessments and surveys of business executives.
Delia Ferreira Rubio, the chairwoman of Transparency International, sounded the alarm about rising levels of coronavirus-related graft in the report, which scored the countries and territories in their fight against state corruption, such as when government agencies receive kickbacks in procuring vaccines.
“Covid-19 is not just a health and economic crisis,” she warned. “It’s a corruption crisis. And one that we’re currently failing to manage.”
Delays and missteps: how Duterte’s Philippines struggled against Covid-19
TI warned that corruption, which has worsened the past few years – based on the countries’ overall average score – has affected the countries’ responses to the coronavirus pandemic. The organisation previously stated that corruption “deprives the global health sector of US$500 billion every year”.
The report noted that “with a score of 34, efforts to control corruption in the Philippines appear mostly stagnant since 2012. The government’s response to Covid-19 has been characterised by abusive enforcement, and major violations of human rights and media freedom”.
During his run for the presidency in 2016, Duterte stated, “I will not promise you heaven but I will try to stop corruption”, and vowed to put an end to corruption within six months. But by September, he was offering to resign over corruption, saying there was “no way” to stop it.


His tenure has been marked by a series of corruption scandals that have cost the country billions of pesos. The scandals have involved many of his appointees, including his justice secretary.
A senate hearing discovered in 2019 that an elite group of anti-drugs policemen nicknamed “ninja cops” had actually gone into drug dealing themselves, earning billions of pesos. The country’s “Magnetic lifters” scandal in 2018 saw billions of pesos worth of drugs enter a Manila port packed in industrial equipment, waved through with the connivance of police and customs officials.
Another Senate investigation in 2020 uncovered the “pastillas” scheme – where cash pay-offs worth almost US$20 million were tightly rolled up in white sheets of paper in the same manner as the sweet confectionery – and handed to immigration officials at the airport in exchange for allowing thousands of mainland Chinese to enter.
The scam started in 2017 and was still going strong during the coronavirus lockdown.
Is Duterte leading Philippines on a merry dance with ‘Cha-Cha’ proposals?
A witness testifying before the Senate claimed former justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre, a former schoolmate of Duterte, was the main figure behind the racket, which Aguirre denied.
Other Senate investigations, also conducted last year, have forced the government to lower the negotiated prices for the purchase of personal protective equipment and for coronavirus testing; prompted the dismissal of top officers of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation for their involvement in “anomalous contracts”; and have probed possible kickbacks to government officials during the procurement of China-made vaccines.
Earl Parreño, who wrote a political biography of Duterte entitled Beyond Will & Power: Unearthing the Roots of Duterte’s Psyche, told This Week in Asia that Duterte had made an effort to combat corruption when he first took office, but that he failed because Filipino syndicates “are too entrenched” within various government agencies.

He said that even “the so-called strong people” in the military were not able to crack down on corruption within government agencies, adding that before the pandemic, suppliers bidding for government contracts had told him they were being forced to give payoffs.
“That’s why prices of items get jacked up by three to four times compared to when the private sector buys the same items.”
Overall, TI described the state of corruption worldwide as “grim”, with two-thirds of countries and territories surveyed scoring below 50.
The highest-ranking countries, Denmark and New Zealand, each scored 88 out of 100, followed by Finland, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland, which were all tied at 85.
At the bottom were South Sudan and Somalia at 12, Syria at 14, and Venezuela and Yemen at 15.
As Philippines seeks Covid-19 vaccines, ghost of Dengvaxia scandal lingers
The report said Myanmar saw the greatest improvement, increasing 13 points from last year to score 28.
In the Asia-Pacific region, Singapore with 85 and Hong Kong with 77 were the top scorers, while Bangladesh emerged as “one of the worst performers” with a score of 26, owing to the fact that “the government invests little in health care while corruption flourishes”, the report said.
India (40) and Indonesia (37) “experienced slow progress in anti-corruption efforts, with several government commitments to reform not yet materialised”, TI said.
The average score in the Asia-Pacific was 45.
Among the world’s biggest economies, Germany scored highest with 80, followed by the United Kingdom, at 77; Japan, 74, the United States, 67; and China, 42.


Philippines’ corruption rating under Duterte holds at same level: bad

President Rodrigo Duterte once vowed to end corruption in the Philippines. Last year, he offered to resign because he said it was impossible to stop. EPA-EFE

Gemma Roxas, 57, wearing a protective mask for protection against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), queues for a general check-up at a local health center in Manila, Philippines January 26, 2021. Picture taken January 26, 2021. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez

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Transparency International report puts country in 115th place out of 180 as it sounds alarm on coronavirus-related graft
It says Duterte government’s response to Covid-19 was ‘characterised by abusive enforcement, and major violations of human rights and media freedom’



Transparency International report puts country in 115th place out of 180 as it sounds alarm on coronavirus-related graft.


Philippines’ corruption rating under Duterte holds at same level: bad

Transparency International report puts country in 115th place out of 180 as it sounds alarm on coronavirus-related graft It says Duterte government’s response to Covid-19 was ‘characterised by abusive enforcement, and major violations of human rights and media freedom’

Transparency International report puts country in 115th place out of 180 as it sounds alarm on coronavirus-related graft

It says Duterte government’s response to Covid-19 was ‘characterised by abusive enforcement, and major violations of human rights and media freedom’