Party-list lawmakers richest, poorest in House

MANILA, Philippines - Rep. Michael Romero of party-list group One Patriotic Coalition of Marginalized Nationals (1-Pacman) is the richest legislator.

Romero, who made his fortune from a lucrative port operation business, declared a net worth of P7 billion, nearly twice the wealth of the richest senator, Cynthia Villar, who is worth P3.6 billion.

The son of business tycoon Reghis Romero II, Congressman Romero is more than twice as rich as boxing icon Sen. Manny Pacquiao, who has declared a P3.1-billion net worth.

Romero valued his assets at P7.058 billion and his liabilities at P48.4 million.

In 2016, Forbes magazine listed Romero as the 49th richest Filipino with wealth
estimated at $150 million.

Villar’s daughter-in-law Emmeline Aglipay-Villar is the second richest House member with a net worth of P1.4 billion. She is the wife of Public Works Secretary Mark Villar.

She represents Democratic Independent Workers Association Inc. (Diwa). The two richest House members are thus party-list representatives.

Rep. Villar is followed by Alfredo Abelardo Benitez of Negros Occidental, with a net worth of P943 million; former first lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos of Ilocos Norte, P917.8 million; Feliciano Belmonte Jr. of Quezon City, P852.1 million; Virgilio Lacson of Manila Teachers, P768.8 million; Bayani Fernando of Marikina City, P738 million; Vilma Santos-Recto of Batangas, P522.6 million; Antonio Floirendo Jr. of Davao del Note, P491.7 million; and Yedda Marie Romualdez of Leyte, P477.9 million.

The next 10 wealthiest are former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of Pampanga, P434.6 million; Rosanna Vergara of Nueva Ecija, P310.4 million; Michael John Duavit of Rizal, P263.5 million; Abraham Tolentino of Cavite, P258.7 million; Ferjenel Biron of Iloilo, P241.8 million; Manuel Luis Lopez of Manila, P238 million; Micaela Violago also of Nueva Ecija, P235.6 million; Zajib Mangudadatu of Maguindanao, P231.3 million; Alex Advincula also of Cavite, P220.5 million; and Richard Eusebio of Pasig City, P212.3 million.

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez declared a net worth of P86.5 million, while Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas is worth P169.1 million. Minority Leader Danilo Suarez has a P177.3-million net worth.

Of the 294 House members, only six are not millionaires and are considered the poorest lawmakers. Most of them are party-list representatives.

They are Sarah Elago of Kabataan, who declared her net worth at P50,000; Gabriel Bordado, who replaced Vice President Leni Robredo as representative of Camarines Sur’s third district, P179,017.71; Arlene Brosas of Gabriela, P501,000; Abigail Faye Ferriol-Pascual of Kalinga, P672,050.88; Sabiniano Canama of Coop-NATCCO, P780,000; and France Castro of Alliance of Concerned Teachers, P904,053.13.

The poorest millionaires also belong to party-list groups: Joseph Stephen Paduano of Abang Lingkod, P2.2 million; Teodoro Montoro of Aasenso, P1.8 million; Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna, P1.4 million; Benhur Lopez Jr. of You Against Corruption and Poverty, P1.3 million; and Emerenciana de Jesus also of Gabriela, P1.2 million.

The listing is based on the summary of the statements of assets, liabilities and net worth of House members as of the end of 2016.

The House secretariat released the summary yesterday, or a delay of more than two months. In the past, the secretariat came out with the listing a month after the deadline for the filing of the annual statements, which is April 30.

Based on Executive Order 201, the salary upgrading directive issued by former president Benigno Aquino III in February 2016, a House member’s monthly salary ranges from P117,601 to P129,316.

Additionally, congressmen receive allowances amounting to more than P300,000 for travel, office supplies, district office staff and other expenses.

Of the 10 richest House members, Romero, Lacson, Fernando, Santos-Recto, Floirendo and Romualdez are neophytes.

Rep. Villar and her husband Secretary Villar grew their wealth more than twice. In 2015, the two declared identical net worth of P689,535,772.

Mark Villar was then representative of Las Piñas City.

Benitez increased his wealth by P63 million from P880 million last year.

In the case of Mrs. Marcos, her wealth declarations did not change: P932 million in total assets, P15 million in liabilities, for a net worth of P917.8 million.

Arroyo improved her net worth by more than P40 million from last year’s P393.9 million. She was worth P131.6 million in 2011, P120.5 million in 2012, P136.8 million in 2013 and P146.5 million in 2014.

In 2001 when she assumed the presidency after then president Joseph Estrada was forced from power, Arroyo had a net worth of P66.78 million.