Palace pleased with PH rank in 2019 World Justice Project Rule of Law Index

by Faye Orellana, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Mar 2, 2019

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Saturday expressed its pleasure on the latest ranking in the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2019, which saw it moving three notches up from its ranking last year.

“The Duterte Administration has been tirelessly working on these since Day One and we are pleased of the Philippines’ improved global rank in 2019 (from 88 out of 113 countries in 2017-2018 to 90 out of 126 countries in 2018-2019) as a result of our initiatives. We will not rest and continue exerting efforts on this aspect,” Malacañang spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

The World Justice Project Rule of Law Index measures how the rule of law is experienced and perceived by the general public in 126 countries and jurisdictions worldwide based on more than 120,000 household and 3,800 expert surveys.

Despite moving three notches up in the ranking, the Philippines remains among the bottom three countries in the East Asia and Pacific region, along with Myanmar and Cambodia, when it comes to adherence to the rule of law.

Ranking of countries in the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index was based on eight factors: constraints on government powers; absence of corruption; open government; fundamental rights; order and security; regulatory enforcement; civil justice; and criminal justice.

“The World Justice Project defines effective rule of law as reducing corruption, combating poverty and disease and protecting people from injustice large and small — which are all embodied in the Duterte Administration’s Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 with the following strategic outcomes: enhancing the social fabric; inequality-reducing transformation and increasing growth potential,” Panelo said.

Panelo also admitted that “the Executive Branch, however, cannot do it alone” and needs the support of other branches of the government in solving pressing issues in the country.

“The four universal principles of the World Justice Project rule of law framework, which include accountability, just laws, open government, and accessible and impartial dispute resolution require the support of all branches of the government,” Panelo said.

“We need the support of Congress for the enactment of laws under just laws and open government, as well as the cooperation of the Judicial Branch for the timely delivery of justice under accessible and impartial dispute resolution,” he added. /muf