(UPDATE) BRIBERY remains the most widely perceived form of corruption in the Philippines, with nearly three in four adult Filipinos identifying it as the most common corrupt practice, according to the latest nationwide survey released by Octa Research.
The findings came from the fourth quarter 2025 Tugon ng Masa (TNM) survey on public perceptions of corruption in government, conducted from Dec. 3-11, 2025 through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 respondents nationwide. The poll, commissioned by the Office of the Ombudsman, carries a margin of error of ±3 percent at the national level.
Survey results showed that 73 percent of adult Filipinos cited bribery as the most common type of corruption. This was followed by irregularities in the use of public funds at 66 percent, vote buying at 64 percent, and slow justice at 54 percent.
Octa said these four issues consistently appeared across regions and income groups, indicating that corruption is perceived not as a localized problem but as a nationwide structural concern affecting everyday governance and public service.
While bribery ranked first overall, regional differences were observed in the ranking of other corruption types. In several areas in the Visayas and Mindanao, vote buying emerged as the second most commonly cited concern, reflecting persistent issues surrounding electoral integrity. In other regions, irregularities in the use of public funds were more prominent, pointing to localized concerns over fiscal management and procurement practices.
Despite these variations, Octa noted that the core types of corruption identified remained largely the same nationwide, suggesting that local political and administrative contexts influence how corruption is experienced, but not the fundamental issues themselves.
The survey also found that perceptions of corruption cut across socioeconomic and demographic groups, though priorities differed. Lower-income and less-educated respondents tended to emphasize bribery and vote buying, while higher-income and more educated respondents were more attuned to irregularities in public funds and procurement.
Across age groups, bribery and slow justice consistently ranked among the top concerns, indicating widespread experiences or observations of administrative corruption and delays in accountability mechanisms. Older and more educated respondents placed greater emphasis on fiscal and procurement-related irregularities, which Octa said may reflect higher awareness of institutional processes.
Octa said the results highlight the need for both broad and targeted anti-corruption strategies. National-level reforms focusing on procedural clarity, transparency, and institutional oversight remain crucial, but these should be complemented by region-specific and group-sensitive approaches that address local risks and lived public experiences.
The survey’s technical report said reducing bribery could benefit from standardized government procedures, strengthened frontline supervision, and expanded use of digital systems to limit discretionary interactions. Addressing misuse of public funds, meanwhile, may require reinforced audit mechanisms and stricter enforcement of administrative and criminal penalties, while combating vote buying would need stronger implementation of election laws and voter education in high-risk areas.
Octa emphasized that effective anti-corruption policy must address both institutional weaknesses and everyday realities, noting that public perceptions provide critical insights into where reforms are most urgently needed.
