Only 3 lawmakers not millionaires
The House of Representatives finally disclosed on Sunday the net worth of its 292 members in an aggregated list form, more than two months after the congressmen’s April 30 wealth-reporting deadline.
The list showed that Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez reported P96.54 million in assets and P4.84 million in liabilities in 2017 for a net worth of P91.69 million.
Based on the House’s list, Alvarez was the 49th richest representative in 2017, one rank higher than the previous year.
Below P1M
The list also revealed that of the House’s 292 members, only three reported a net worth of below P1 million.
The House’s poorest members were Kabataan Rep. Sarah Jane Elago (P75,800), Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas (P514,660) and Camarines Sur Rep. Gabriel Bordado Jr. (P563,445.19).
Three party-list representatives broke the million-peso mark in 2017: Kalinga Rep. Abigail Faye Ferriol-Pascual (P4.54 million from P672,050.88), ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro (P1.39 million from P904,053.13), and Coop-Natcco Rep. Sabiniano Canama (P1.07 million from P780,000).
The top 11 richest congressmen remained the same as in 2016.
Topping the list was 1-Pacman Rep. Michael Romero with a net worth of P7.29 billion in 2017, 4-percent higher than the previous year’s P7.01 billion.
Diwa Party-list Rep. Emmeline Aglipay-Villar ranked second with a net worth of P1.41 billion.
Newest billionaire
She was followed by Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez, whose 2017 net worth of P1.005 billion was 6.6-percent higher than the previous year’s P942.96 million.
Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos placed fourth with a net worth of P920.8 million.
She was followed by Quezon City Rep. Feliciano Belmonte Jr. (P861.04 million), Manila Teachers Party-list Rep. Virgilio Lacson (P791.69 million), Marikina City Rep. Bayani Fernando (P739 million), Batangas Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto (P538.89 million), Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr. (P523.73 million), and Leyte Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez (P478.24 million).
Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo stayed in 11th place with a net worth of P464.77 million.
Veloso’s 826% jump
In 12th place was Pampanga Rep. Juan Pablo Bondoc, whose net worth jumped 196.5 percent to P426.6 million in 2017, from the previous year’s P143.87 million.
Another rich congressman was Leyte Rep. Vicente Veloso, whose net worth surged by 826 percent to P228 million (22nd place) from the previous year’s P24.6 million (164th place).
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