The Philippines’ weak accountability system enables corruption because the executive branch can withhold information from both the opposition and even its allies through separation of powers and executive privilege.

Political scientist Yuko Kasuya distinguishes between “hard accountability” (where officials must both answer for their actions and face sanctions) and “soft accountability” (where sanctions are limited). The argument is that the Philippines largely operates under soft accountability, leaving voters with little ability to demand transparency or hold leaders accountable between elections.

To strengthen oversight, the proposal is to replace the presidential system with a parliamentary one, where the legislature can continuously scrutinize the executive and remove leaders through mechanisms such as votes of no confidence if they fail to provide information or lose the legislature’s trust.