A recent survey commissioned by the Office of the Ombudsman found that most Filipinos view bribery as the most prevalent form of corruption, while residents in the Visayas and Mindanao identify vote buying as a major concern.
Conducted by OCTA Research from December 3 to 11, 2025, during the height of the flood control corruption controversy, the poll revealed that 73% of respondents cited bribery in everyday government transactions as the most common corrupt practice.
“Many Filipinos may have directly encountered or observed informal payments in frontline services, making it the most immediate and recognizable form of corruption,” the survey noted.
The misuse of public funds ranked second in perceived corruption, followed by vote buying and delays in the delivery of justice. The survey highlighted that vote buying was especially prominent in the Visayas and Mindanao, with nearly identical response rates, reflecting regional concerns about electoral integrity.
“These regional variations suggest that anti-corruption challenges are shaped by local political contexts and may require targeted rather than uniform policy responses,” OCTA said.
The survey sampled 1,200 respondents and carries a margin of error of ±3%.