Grand corruption – the abuse of public office for private gain by a nation’s leaders (kleptocrats) – is a

major barrier to meeting the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, responding effectively to
pandemics, fighting climate change, creating a level playing field for ethical international businesses,
promoting democracy and human rights, establishing international peace and security, and securing a
more just, rules-based global order.[2]

Grand corruption does not endure due to a lack of anti-corruption laws and instruments. In addition to
regional conventions and treaties, and to extant domestic laws, 189 parties – nation states, regional
bodies and other subjects of international public law – have subscribed to the UN Convention against
Corruption (UNCAC), which requires criminalising forms of corruption such as bribery, embezzlement
and money laundering. Further, UNCAC’s review mechanism ensures that each party makes a continued,
good faith effort to create and enforce such laws. Yet, corrupt leaders and senior officials continue to
enjoy impunity in their own countries because – in meaningful measure – they control police,
prosecutors and courts.

Domestic laws such as the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and its 43 counterparts
enacted in countries that are party to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD) Anti-Bribery Convention,[3] have not been adequate on their own to erode the impunity
kleptocrats enjoy. Those statutes permit the prosecution of individuals and organisations that pay
bribes, but not of the public officials who demand or accept them. It is a fundamental premise of
criminal law that the prospect of punishment will deter crime and prosecutions against public officials
under these laws have been notably lacking. The absence of risk of punishment – particularly
imprisonment – contributes greatly to the pervasiveness and persistence of grand corruption.

Today, no supranational body can sanction kleptocrats who plunder nations. An international anti-
corruption court (IACC) would have the power to do what these nations have been unwilling or unable
to do; effectively bring to justice those kleptocrats and their collaborators, make examples out of them
and recover grafted funds for their rightful owners.

The Philippines is perceived to be one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Of 180 countries, the
Philippines ranked 116 in terms of being least corrupt. This means that the country is almost on the top
one-third of the most corrupt countries, based on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) published by
Transparency International.
According to CPI, the Philippines scored a total of 33 points out of 100. Even as far back as 2012, it has
fluctuated around the same CPI score, with the highest score being 38 points in 2014 and the lowest
being 33 points in 2021 and 2022. To further contextualize how low it scored, the regional average CPI
score for the Asia-Pacific region is 45, with zero as highly corrupt. And of the 31 countries and territories
in the region, the Philippines placed 22nd (tied with Mongolia).

As stated above corruption became a perennial issue not only in the international setting but also
locally. Corruption does not pertain only with the tangible materials but also involved the abduction of
powers. It is quite relevant to discuss this matter especially now that is so timely for the coming days we
will be having our local elections again, that most of the time this served as a platform for the majority
of individuals or candidates seem to be so eager to have slots for any position in local governance. Even
youth nowadays are so exposed in this kind of form of governance that is considered as a malpractice of
authority. Most of the youth are encouraged to enter local politics to get power, money and fame.

We all know that , money is the root of all evils and somehow this contributes for the majority of the
problems that has something to do with corruption.

https://www.ibanet.org/the-case-for-an-international-anti-corruption-court#:~:text=Grand
%20corruption%20%E2%80%93%20the,their%20rightful%20owners.

https://business.inquirer.net/390650/