ECGI Discussed in the Philippines House of Representatives
ECGI Places ASEAN Economic Crime and Geopolitical Risks Under the Lens
NEWS
SAFN
9/7/2026
(Pic: Asanga Abeyagoonasekera presenting the ECGI regional data at the Cambridge Economic Crime Symposium )
Washington,D.C.— September 7th, 2026 The Economic Crime and Geopolitics Index (ECGI) has been discussed in the House of Representatives of the Philippines, marking an important recognition of the Index as a regional tool for understanding the relationship between economic crime, governance, and geopolitical risk.
A report titled “ASEAN Performance in the Economic Crime and Geopolitics Index 2026” was released by the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department (CPBRD) of the House of Representatives in June 2026.
The Economic Crime and Geopolitics Index (ECGI), developed by Asanga Abeyagoonasekera, Senior Fellow at the Millennium Project and Executive Director of SAFN in Washington, DC, examines the intersection of economic crime, governance, and geopolitical risks. His work as a Technical Advisor to the IMF on Sri Lanka’s Governance Diagnostic, followed by political upheavals in Bangladesh and Nepal, highlighted the urgent need to assess economic crime and geopolitical risks through a single integrated indicator.
ASEAN Risk Assessment
Table 1 of the report presents the April 2026 ECGI scores of ASEAN Member States (AMS). Four countries — the Philippines (72.6), Indonesia (72.1), Cambodia (71.3), and Thailand (70.2) — fall within the high-risk band of 70 and above, reflecting stronger exposure to economic crime, geopolitical pressures, and external shocks.
The findings demonstrate the growing importance of examining economic crime not in isolation, but alongside geopolitical competition, governance vulnerabilities, and broader regional instability.
Philippines Records the Highest ECGI Score
According to the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department report, the Philippines recorded the highest ECGI score among ASEAN countries at 72.6, placing it firmly within the high-risk category.
As highlighted in Table 1 and Figure 3 of the report, the Philippines' score was driven by high levels of Economic Crime Severity (ECS) at 7.0, Public Response Intensity (PRE) at 7.0, and strong Geopolitical Influence (GI) at 7.5. Its relatively low Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) score of 32 further underscored continuing governance challenges.
The report noted that recent corruption scandals involving allegations of fund misuse and irregularities in infrastructure projects, combined with political uncertainty, had deepened concerns regarding transparency and accountability. These developments reinforced the country's exposure to economic crime and geopolitical risks.
The Philippines' ECGI score increased from 69.2 in September 2025 to 72.6 in April 2026, reflecting a significant rise in the country's overall risk profile and keeping it firmly within the high-risk band.
The Index provides policymakers, researchers, and institutions with a unique framework for assessing how economic crime, governance vulnerabilities, and geopolitical competition interact and shape regional stability.
In 2026 August, the ECGI was also discussed at the Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime at the University of Cambridge, where its potential application and expansion to other regions of the world was explored.
(Panel discussion at the Cambridge Economic Crime Symposium L-R: Dr Tom Grant, Senior Research Fellow, Wolfson College, Prof. Asanga Abeyagoonasekera, Senior Fellow, The Millennium Project, USA, General Muhammed Buba Marwa, Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Nigeria, Prof. William Hurst, Co-Director, Centre for Geopolitics, University of Cambridge.)
The growing interest in the ECGI has also attracted attention from technology partners, including MITRA, ConsciousIQ, and other organizations, regarding potential collaboration and the future development of the platform. These partnership opportunities are currently under evaluation.
The recognition and detailed assessment of the ECGI by the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department of the Philippines House of Representatives represents an important milestone in the Index's growing contribution to policy discussions on economic crime, governance, and geopolitical risk in South and Southeast Asia.
Read the full CPBRD report:
ECGI interactive map – https://southasiaforesight.net/ecgi-interactive-map
ECGI report - https://southasiaforesight.net/latest-ecgi-report
