52 of 56 party-list representatives are multimillionaires

MANILA, Philippines - Fifty-two out of 56 nominees of party-list groups presently sitting in the House of Representatives are multimillionaires.         

The remaining four representatives are among the poorest House members.         

The richest party-list representative is Catalina Bagasina of Association of Laborers and Employees (ALE), who has a net worth of P113.8 million.         

Following her is Teodorico Haresco of Kasangga sa Kaunlaran (Kasangga) with a net worth of P104.8 million.         

In third place is Juan Miguel Arroyo of Ang Galing Pinoy, who is worth P100.6 million. He is the elder son of former president and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo.

He is followed by Christopher Co of Ako Bicol, with a net worth of P87.7 million, and Patricio Antonio of Agbiag Timpuyog Ilocano (Agbiag), worth P63.9 million.

The other party-list representatives with a high net worth are David Kho of Senior Citizens, P63.1 million; Mariano Michael Velarde Jr. of Buhay, P52.8 million; Nicanor Briones of Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines (AGAP), P46.4 million; Catalina Leonen-Pizarro of Arts, Business and Science Professionals (ABS), P39 million; and Rodel Batocabe, also of Ako Bicol, P29.2 million.

Bagasina, Haresco, Arroyo, Co, and Antonio are among the richest of the 278 House members. They rank 24th, 26th, 29th, 36th, and 50th, respectively.

Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, representative of Sarangani province, tops the list with a P1.8-billion net worth.         

The poorest party-list representatives are Rafael Mariano of Anakpawis (P92,507.15), Kaka Bag-ao of Akbayan, who is the newly elected representative of Dinagat Islands (P230,788.96), Teddy Casiño of Bayan Muna (P446,399.95), and Abigail Faye Ferriol of Kalinga (P501,951.02).         

Other party-list members with a net worth of less than P2 million are Emmie de Jesus of Gabriela (P1.2 million), Cresente Paez of Cooperative Network (P1.2 million), Antonio Tinio of ACT Teachers (P1.3 million), and Neri Colmenares, also of Bayan Muna (P1.6 million).

Bagasina’s ALE, Kasangga and Agbiag are not among the groups the Commission on Elections proclaimed yesterday as party-list election winners, while Ang Galing Pinoy was disqualified before the May 13 voting.         

Haresco did not seek a party-list seat but instead ran and won as representative of the lone district of Aklan.         

Buhay has won three seats. Velarde and incumbent Rep. Irwin Tieng will be joined by former Manila mayor Lito Atienza as representatives of Buhay, which is identified with Mike Velarde and his El Shaddai group.         

Bayan Muna, Akbayan, Gabriela, Agap, and Ako Bicol have won two seats each.         

Buhay dislodged Ako Bicol as the largest party-list group with three representatives, the maximum allowed by the Constitution.

Alfredo Garbin Jr., Ako Bicol’s third nominee, will lose his House seat.