The rampant corruption in public life is often partly blamed on the legacy of Ferdinand Marcos, who ruled the country between 1965 and 1986. Marcos, together with his wife Imelda, oversaw one of the most corrupt administrations the world has ever seen. By the time they were eventually ousted from power, the couple had amassed over $1bn worth of real estate in America, and allegedly fled the Philippines with suitcases full of gold. Famously, Imelda Marcos was found to have owned over 3,000 pairs of shoes.

Marcos was replaced by Corazon Aquino, widow of the assassinated opposition leader Benigno Aquino. The new regime was undoubtedly cleaner than its predecessor, but was dogged by repeated attempted military coups, as well as a culture of corruption that had embedded itself into public life.

Aquino was succeeded by Fidel Ramos, a former army general who had defected from the Marcos regime. Ramos was president of the Philippines from 1992 until 1998, when film star Joseph Estrada, known to the masses as Erap, won the presidential election.

Estrada's regime was a return to the dark days of the Marcos era, with levels of corruption unparalleled anywhere in the world. Although a wealthy man from his days as a film star, Estrada's carefree attitude towards money did arouse suspicion.

It soon became evident that he was topping up his Peso500,000 ( 8,300) a month salary with Peso10,000,000 ( 166,000) a month in bribes from gambling syndicates.

Estrada also stole over $30m from the sale of various public companies.

Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo was placed in power in 2001 following the removal of Estrada, and subsequently won a six-year term as president in the 2004 elections. Although her campaign was based on promises to clean up public life, her regime has been accused of vote-rigging and corruption.

Among the biggest issues facing Arroyo is the war against Islamic separatist fighters in the south of the country. The Muslim Independence Liberation Front (MILF) is engaged in constant fighting against government forces in the islands to the south of the Philippines. Just two weeks ago, over 30 army soldiers were killed in clashes with MILF.

An off-shoot of the conflict in the south has been the reintroduction of US troops to the Philippines. Originally brought in to train the Filipino army, the US military now maintains a constant presence in the country, with the number of US troops in the Philippines now at its highest since their official withdrawal in 1992.