Author: Chris Urbanski, Boston Consulting Group

The perks of office are vast in the Philippines, where President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has seen her declared personal net worth grow from US$1.5 million in 2001 to US$3.2 million in 2008. This is a yearly increase of almost US$250,000: not bad for someone with a monthly salary of just US$1000. So it is little wonder politicians are prepared to go to extreme lengths to ensure that they are the next in line to serve the nation.

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, for example, won office in 2004 amid widespread allegations that she conspired with the Electoral commissioner, Virgilio Garcilliano, to tamper with results from Mindanao to ensure victory over action star Ferdinand Poe Jr. Read more…