MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang on Wednesday rejoiced at the Philippines’ slight improvement in the worldwide corruption index, calling it a validation of the Duterte administration’s “significant strides” in promoting good governance. According to global anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International, the Philippines obtained a score of 36 in 2018 from 34 in 2017, jumping to 99th place out of 180 countries. “The President has truly displayed leadership by example and we expect to see further progress in our ranking and make the country’s score at par with the Asia-Pacific regional average,” Panelo said. “It is only through our collective efforts that we can entirely eliminate corruption from our country’s institutions,” he said. Since taking the presidency in 2016, Duterte has vowed to fire government officials even on the slightest “whiff of corruption.” /jpvADVERTISEMENTRead NextLATEST STORIESMOST READ

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer January 30, 2019 10:07 UTC