By Vanne Elaine Terrazola
Senator Cynthia Villars remains the richest among her colleagues in the Senate, according to the senators’ 2017 Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN) released Thursday.
Senator Cynthia Villar (Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN)
Villar declared a net worth of P3.611 billion in 2017with no liabilities, increasing slightly from P3.606B in 2016.
Villar is followed by boxing champ Sen. Manny Pacquiao with a net worth of P2.946 billion, declaring P3.076 billion in assets and P129.778 million in liabilities.
Pacquiao’s net worth, however, declined from P3.072 billion in 2016.
Third richest is Sen. Ralph Recto with a declared a net worth of P538.889 million and P88.807 million in liabilities. Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri is fourth richest with a declared net worth of P152.094 million. Sen. Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara is No. 5 with a net worth of P131.766 million.
Completing the list of the 10 richest senators are: Senate Minority Floor Leader Franklin Drilon (6th) with a net worth of P93.727 million. He ranked eighth last year with a net worth of P82.482 million in 2016; Sen. Grace Poe (7th) with a net worth of P90.675 million; Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian (8th) with a net worth of P88.226 million; Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito (9th) with a net worth of P78.953 million; and Sen. Richard Gordon (10th) with a net worth of P69.509 million.
Sen. Vicente Sotto III declared a net worth of P64.730 million; Sen. Nancy Binay, P60.613 million; Sen. Loren Legarda, P51.317 million; Sen. Bam Aquino, P39.193 million; Sen. Panfilo Lacson, P36.305 million; Sen. Gregorio Honasan, P25.244 million; and Sen. Joel Villanueva, P23.728 million.
'Poorest' senators
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III joins the rank of "poorest" members of the Senate (18th) with a net worth of P18.110 million with no liabilities; Sen. Risa Hontiverosis next with P16.197 million; Sen.Francis Pangilinan with P13.472 million; and Sen. Francis Escudero with P8.502 million.
Detained Sen. Leila de Lima declared a net worth of P7.995 million with liabilities worth P2.295 million.
Opposition Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV is the "poorest" among his colleagues with a net worth of P6.871 million with liabilities worth P9.538 million.