SALN shows VP poorer by P2 M

MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Leni Robredo’s net worth shrank by P2.18 million in the six months since she assumed office in June last year.

In her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman on May 2, Robredo declared a net worth of P8.88 million as of Dec. 31, 2016.

The amount is lower than her declared net worth of P11.05 million in her entry SALN for June 30, 2016, which she submitted to the ombudsman on Aug. 1.

The decrease in the Vice President’s net worth was due to her lower cash assets amounting to P8.94 million as of Dec. 31, down from P11.12 million on June 30.

As of the end of 2016, Robredo’s total assets were down to P15.78 million from P17.95 million on June 30.

The Vice President’s total liabilities remained unchanged at P6.9 million.

Robredo’s assets are composed of real properties valued at P1.74 million and personal properties valued at P14.04 million.

Robredo’s real properties include two residential lots, three agricultural lots, a house, an orchard and a memorial lot, all located in Naga City.

Meanwhile, except for her cash, the value of Robredo’s personal property remained unchanged. These include pieces of furniture, appliances and other equipment valued at P1.5 million; a Toyota Grandia acquired in 2014 for P1.75 million; a Toyota Innova acquired in 2010 for P1.12 million; prepaid insurance valued at P630,000 and jewelry valued at P100,000.

Like her entry SALN, Robredo’s liabilities were due to loans from her mother Salvacion Gerona amounting to P750,000; her brother-in-law Jose Robredo Jr., P1.15 million; sister-in-law Jocelyn Austria, P2 million and the estates of her parents-in-law Marcelina and Jose Robredo amounting to P3 million.

Both in her entry and 2016 SALNs, Robredo declared that she is a shareholder of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco).

Robredo said her shares of stocks with the power firm were acquired in “different years,” but she did not indicate the amount of these stocks.

Robredo’s net worth for 2016 is slightly higher than her declared net worth of P8.71 million and P8.30 million in 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Fight malnutrition

Apart from building new classrooms, Robredo yesterday urged the government to intensify its campaign against malnutrition, which she described as a “silent killer” of children under five years old.

 “Many children come to school with empty stomachs, or are eating unhealthy food,” Robredo told journalists in an interview during the annual Brigada Eskwela at the Balara Elementary School in Quezon City.

Data from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) showed there are around 3.4 million children in the Philippines who are stunted or short for their age and more than 300,000 under five years who are severely wasted or thin for their height.

 The UNICEF said the high incidence of wasting and stunting was recorded in Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Eastern Visayas and Bicol.

 Robredo said there are more than 800 severely wasted children at the Balara Elementary School alone.

 “Between the two, stunting is the hardest problem to combat. At least with wasting you could see that the child is thin. But in terms of stunting, you’ll only think that the child is short, but the shortness in height is a sign of severe malnutrition,” she said.

 The Philippines ranked among the top 40 countries in the world with high wasting rate at 7.9 percent, according to the 2016 Global Nutrition Report.

The UNICEF said the Philippines ranked 10th in the world with a high number of moderate to severely wasted children under the age of five.

 “The problem is after the age of five, this is irreversible, that’s why we really want to help,” Robredo said.

 The Vice President’s youngest daughter Jillian and staff joined parents and faculty members in cleaning and repainting the classrooms in preparation for the school opening on June 5.  – With Helen Flores