1-PACMAN Party-list Rep. Michael Romero remained the richest congressman last year with a net worth of P7.858 billion.
This came up as the House of Representatives released a summary of its members’ statements of assets, liabilities and net worth as of Dec. 31, 2018.
Romero's wealth even ballooned by P567 million from P7.291 billion in December 2017 to P7.858 billion in December 2018.
As of December 2018 Romero, who was elected president of the Party-list Coalition of the incoming 18th Congress, had total assets of P7.933 billion and P75 million in total liabilities.
Romero is the owner of F&S Holdings Inc., the majority shareholder of Air Asia Inc., the corporation that owns and manages Philippines Air Asia.
Next to Romero was Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez with a net worth of P1.016 billion, up from P1.005 billion in 2017.
Last year, it was former Diwa Party-list Rep. Emmeline Aglipay-Villar, wife of Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, who was the second richest House member. Aglipay-Villar was then appointed Justice undersecretary.
Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Romualdez Marcos was the third richest lawmaker with P923.8 million.
She was followed by former Speaker and Quezon City Rep. Feliciano Belmonte Jr. with P864.75 million, and Manila Teachers Party-list Rep. Virgilio Lacson with P793.87 million.
Included in the top 10 richest lawmakers were Marikina City Rep. Bayani Fernando with P748 million, Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio Floirendo with P714.6 million, Batangas Rep. Vilma Santos Recto with P555.3 million, Leyte Rep. Yedda Romualdez with P487.6 million, and Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo with P479.54 million.
House Majority Leader and Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro had P39.85 million while House Minority Leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez had P214.77 million.