Senator Cynthia Villar remains the richest member of the Philippine Senate with a further spike in her wealth in 2019 while detained Sen. Leila de Lima is the poorest.
Bottom (L-R): Sonny Angara, Franklin Drilon, Grace Poe, Win Gatchalian, Pia Cayetano
Based on the senators’ latest statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) released through the Senate’s official website, Villar posted a net worth of over P3,814,091,438 billion as of December 2019.
This is over P94 million higher than her net worth of P3,719,941,858 in 2018, when she was also declared the richest senator.
The senator and her husband, former Senate President Manny Villar, are owners of the Philippines’ biggest homebuilder Vista Land, and shopping center developer Starmalls Incorporated.
The second richest senator in 2019 is world boxing champiom turned Senator Emmanuel Pacquiao. He declared a net worth of P3,172,524,957.50. In 2018, Pacquiao’s wealth was pegged at P3,005,808,000.
Villar and Pacquiao are the only billionaires in the Senate in the 18th Congress.
Lima, an oppositionist, who has been detained at PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame for more than three years over illegal drug charges, is the poorest senator in 2019 with a net worth of P8,323,470.91. This is higher by over P617,000 than her 2018 wealth of P7,706,392.45.
The second poorest member of the Upper Chamber is another member of the opposition, Sen. Risa Hontiveros with a declared net worth 16,050,112.
Next to Villar and Pacquiao as the richest member of the Senate and their declared net worth are the following:
Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto- 567,438,429, Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri- 203,667,746, Ramon Revilla – 176,363,262, Sonny Angara- 142,212,659, Minority Leader Franklin Drilon- 102,259,501, Grace Poe – 97,631,508;
Sherwin Gatchalian- 95,404,344, Pia Cayetano- 82,774,150, Senate President Vicente Sotto III- 77,772,861, Richard Gordon- 71,207,733, Lito Lapid – 70,948,600, Francis Tolentino- 61,172,000, Nancy Binay- 60,318,928; Panfilo Lacson- 48,959,138, Aquilino Pimentel III- 36,308,400, Imee Marcos- 34,020,467, Ronald Dela Rosa- 33,025,241; Joel Villanueva-30,249,305, Francis Pangilinan- 19,975,821 and Christopher Go- 18,391,012.
