The Philippines has a “moderate” risk of corruption in its defense and security sectors, according to a recent assessment of a global transparency movement based in the United Kingdom.

The country was placed under “Band C” in the Government Defence Integrity (GDI) Index Report 2020 of the Transparency International Defence and Security which means that it has a moderate risk of corruption in its defense and security sectors.

“We have taken note of the published Government Defence Integrity Index 2020 report from Transparency International that ranked the Philippines in Band C,” Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement on Thursday night, Nov. 25.

“A cursory look at the report showed that the Philippines has been classified as having ‘moderate risk’ overall, the only ASEAN country together with Singapore to be in the same bracket,” he added.

According to Transparency International, the GDI “assesses the quality of institutional controls to manage the risk of corruption in defense and security institutions.” The results of the analysis was published last Nov. 16.

The GDI assesses five key corruption risk areas in the defense and security sectors namely financial, operational, personnel, political, and procurement “to capture the implementation gap between law and practice, and possible areas for reform to narrow the gap.”

The Philippines was grouped with 22 other countries under Band C including Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and the United States.

Meanwhile, New Zealand is the only country that achieved the best rating under Band A which means it has a “very low” risk of corruption while Belgium, Germany, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Taiwan, and United Kingdom have a “low” risk under Band B.

A total of 17 countries were found to have “high risk” of corruption under Band D; 17 countries were at a “very high” risk under Band E; and 18 countries were at a “critical risk” under Band F.

Lorenzana believes that the DND’s “Defence System of Management” and transparency and accountability in its procurement processes “played a great part in achieving our rating.”

He described the Defence System of Management as the DND’s institutionalization of their judicious use of resources in acquisitions for the continued improvement of defense capabilities.

The Defense Chief also attributed the rating to the “continuously advancing” level of professionalism of all personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“While we have yet to fully review and verify the data as well as the methodology used for the report, especially in some of the items which deserve clarification, we will consider the information and recommendations to improve our mechanisms and processes in our bid to eradicate corruption especially in the defense and security sector,” Lorenzana concluded.