Pacquiao almost doubles net worth to P3.268B in 2015; Jules Ledesma 2nd House billionaire

Senator-elect and outgoing Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao remains to be the wealthiest member of the House of Representatives for the sixth straight year, but he is no longer the lone billionaire in the chamber.

A summary of lawmakers’ Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Wort furnished by the House of Representatives’ Records Management Service showed Pacquiao almost doubled his net worth in just a span of one year, from P1.688 billion in 2014 to P3,268,200,088 in 2015.

Joining him in the billionaire’s club is Negros Occidental Rep. Julio “Jules” Ledesma IV, whose net worth shot up by P177 million, from P827 million in 2014 to P1.004,951,837.92 billion the following year.

The summary of Pacquiao’s SALN values showed his total assets amounted to P3.365 billion, comprising of real properties worth P1.654 billion and personal properties worth P1.710 billion.

His liabilities, meanwhile, amounted to P97.405 million.

Pacquiao, an eight-division world boxing champion, has been the richest members of the House of Representatives since 2010, with a net worth of over a billion.

Top 10 richest

Rounding up the list of Top 10  list of richest lawmakers are House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., who placed third with a net worth of P941.6 million, former First Lady and now Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos, who had a net worth of P917.8 million, and Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo “Albee” Benitez, who declared a net worth of P880 million.

In sixth place are husband and wife Las Pinas Rep. Mark Villar and Diwa party-list Rep. Emmeline Aglipay Villar, who filed their SALNs jointly. The couple declared a net worth of P689.5 million.

Placing seventh on the list is Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, with a net worth of P475.6 million.

Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is the eighth richest House member, with a net worth of P393.9 million and no liabilities.

She is followed by Rizal Rep. Joel Roy Duavit, who had a net worth of P302.6 million, and Maguindanao Rep. Zajid Mangudadatu, whose net worth amounted to P225.9 million.

Hicap is ‘poorest’ with P43,239

Of the 290 members of the 16th Congress, 203 have an eight-figure net worth ranging from P10 million to P99 million while only two are non-millionaires.

Anakpawis party-list Rep. Fernando Hicap remained the lawmaker with the lowest net worth at P43,239.14, a decrease from the P95,572 he declared in 2014.

The House member with the second least net worth is Kalinga party-list Rep. Abigail Faye Ferriol, who posted a net worth of P75,150.

Thirty lawmakers have net worth within the P100-million range while 53 have a seven-figure net worth. —ALG, GMA News