By Marita Moaje
MANILA – Most Filipinos, or 73 percent, perceive bribery as the most common type of corruption across the country, as shown in a nationwide survey, Tugon ng Masa (TNM), conducted by the OCTA Research.
The Quarter 4 TNM Survey, conducted between Dec. 3 and 11, 2025, and released on Monday, was commissioned by the Office of the Ombudsman.
“Seventy-three percent (73 percent) of adult Filipinos identify bribery as the most common type of corruption, followed by irregularities in the use of public funds (66 percent), vote buying (64 percent), and slow justice (54 percent),” the key findings from the report read.
“These four types consistently appear across regions and socioeconomic groups, underscoring the broad and structural nature of corruption concerns in the country,” it added.
While bribery ranked first in most areas, regional differences emerged in the second most cited concern.
In some Luzon and Visayas regions, irregularities in public funds topped responses, while vote buying was the leading concern in parts of Eastern Visayas and Mindanao, reflecting local political dynamics and administrative contexts.
Meanwhile, across income groups, bribery remained the top concern.
“The prominence of bribery may reflect its visibility in routine transactions with government offices. Many Filipinos may have directly encountered or observed informal payments in frontline services, making it the most immediate and recognizable form of corruption,” the OCTA Research said.
The poll also showed differences across socioeconomic classes, with higher-income respondents, or those in class ABC, more likely to cite irregularities in public funds and procurement.
Middle-income respondents or those in class D showed similar patterns, although vote-buying ranked ahead of slow justice. Meanwhile lower-income respondents, or class E, emphasized vote-buying and slow justice.
The report said anti-corruption efforts may require both broad institutional reforms, including stronger oversight, clearer procedures and digitalization and targeted measures addressing region-specific risks and community-level concerns.
“Overall, the results underscore that effective anti-corruption strategies must address both institutional structures and lived public experiences, ensuring reforms are responsive to the everyday realities identified by respondents,” the report reads.
The OCTA Research said the poll was done through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 respondents nationwide, and has a ±3 percent margin of error at a 95 percent confidence level. (PNA)
