Ombudsman: BIR, BOC, DPWH, LTO and PNP most corrupt agencies

24 March 2009: The Office of the Ombudsman has released a report identifying the five government agencies most “vulnerable to graft and corruption”:

• Bureau of Internal Revenue
• Bureau of Customs
• Department of Public Works and Highways
• Land Transportation Office
• Philippine National Police

Three other agencies were identified as “next in line”:

• Department of Environment and Natural Resources
• Department of Agrarian Reform
• Department of Health

The list was based on the Integrity Development Review, a one-year study conducted by the Ombudsman. The study based the vulnerability of government agencies to corruption on the nature of transactions and the type of work they perform.

The study also included proposed action plans and strategies to combat the problem. According to the Ombudsman, some were already being implemented in several agencies. In the BOC, “face to face contact between examiners and brokers during cargo examinations” has been decreased, and warehouse entries and alert systems have been computerized. In the DPWH, an “online complaint desk” has been created.

Source: PDI, March 24, 2009.