Reelected Senator Cynthia Villar, the front-runner in May’s midterm elections, and world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao were the only senators in the Billionaires’ Row in the Senate.
Villar remained the richest senator with a declared net worth of P3,719,941,858 as of Dec. 31, 2018, as shown in the list of the senators’ statement of assets, liabilities and net worth posted on the Senate website.
She had no liabilities and her net worth this year is more than P100 million higher than last year’s P3,611,260,766.
Villar’s husband, former Senate President Manny Villar, is one of the wealthiest in the Philippines, with an estimated net worth of $5.5 billion based on Forbes magazine’s 2019 list of the wealthiest people on the planet. He ranked 317th globally.
Pacquiao, who remains active in boxing, had a net worth of P3,005,808,000″•P59 million more than last year”•and P146 million in liabilities.
Like Villar, Pacquiao also became richer in 2018 compared to his declared net worth of P2,946,315,029.93 in 2017.
Villar had no declared liabilities in 2018 while Pacquiao had P146,005,728 in liabilities.
Outgoing Senator Antonio Trillanes IV reported the lowest net worth of P7,533,012.10 followed by detained Senator Leila de Lima with a net worth of 7,706,392.45.
Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto was the third richest senator with a reported net worth of P555,324,479.82, followed by Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri with a net worth of P182,851,570.34 and Senator Juan Edgardo Angara with P135,840,710.
Senator JV Ejercito was the sixth richest senator with a net worth of 132,820,345.73, an increase of P53.9 million from his net worth in 2017.
Ejercito said the increase was due to an asset donated to him three years ago, but its documentation was only completed and reflected in 2018.
“All of these are documented, were given a deed of donation of an asset worth P50 million three years ago but the documentation was only completed and reflected in 2018,” Ejercito said, adding that the property was transferred to him and his wife.
Minority Leader Franklin Drilon was the seventh richest with a reported net worth of P97,726,758. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian was the eighth richest with a reported net worth of P96,210,607.14, and Senator Grace Poe was the ninth richest with a reported net worth of 93,039,921.54.
Senator Richard Gordon came in as the 10th richest senator with a net worth of P71,285,178.65, while Senate President Vicente Sotto III was 11th with P70,120,700.30.
Senator Nancy Binay had a net worth of P60,132,461.00 while Senator Loren Legarda reported a net worth of P56,290,602.11.
Senator Bam Aquino was the 14th richest senator with P45,205,138.25, followed by Panfilo Lacson with a net worth of P42,442,341.00, Senator Aquilino Martin Pimentel III with P28,662,212, and Senator Joel Villanueva with P26,921,555.00.
Senator Gregorio Honasan II had a net worth of P25,882,099.00, Senator Francis Pangilinan had P16,695,048.17, Ana Theresia Hontiveros P15,627,176.04, and Senator Francis Escudero with P10,575,228, and Senator Leila de Lima with P7.7 million.
Aside from Villar, the other senators who had no liabilities were Gatchalian, Honasan, and Pimentel.
