DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 29 May) – Four Mindanawons made it to the list of Top Ten Richest and Top Ten Poorest representatives, with Sarangani Rep. and world boxing icon Emmanuel Pacquiao as richest, based on the Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) they filed for 2013.
Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel Pacquiao topped the list with a net worth of P1.3 billion (1,345,499, 575), the lone representative in the Billionaires’ Club.
Pacquiao’s net worth is P422.7 million more than the second placer, Ilocos Norte 2nd district Rep. Imelda Marcos with P922.8 million, and P525.8 million more than third placer, Quezon City 4th District Rep. and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte with P819.7 million.
Another Mindanawon representative, first-termer Zajid Mangudadatu of the 2nd district of Maguindanao, joined the list of Ten Richest, ranking 10th with P215.8 million net worth.
Unlike Pacquiao who declared liabilities worth half a billion (P527M), Mangudadatu declared zero liability.
Ironically, the richest representatives from Mindanao – Pacquiao and Mangudadatu – represent provinces that are among the Top Ten Poorest in the country in 2012.
According to data from the National Statistical Coordinating Board (NSCB), Maguindanao ranked fourth poorest with 57.8% poverty incidence while Sarangani placed 8th with 46.5% poverty incidence. The national poverty incidence for the same year was 22.3%.
MindaNews culled the ranking of poorest and richest representatives from the “Summary Report of Filed Statements of Assets, Liabilities And Net Worth (Salns) for CY 2013 of Members of the House Of Representatives, 16th Congress” prepared by Atty. Ricardo Bering, Director of the Records Management Service of the House of Representatives. The report is posted on the website of the House of Representatives.
Poorest
Two Mindanawons also made it to the Top Ten Poorest representatives.
Dinagat Islands lone district representative Arlene “Kaka” Bag-ao is third among the Top Ten Poorest Representatives with a net worth of nearly P600,000 (P598,012.82) and Cresente Paez of Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte (Coop-Nattco) ranking 6th poorest with P1.098 million.
Bayan Muna partylist Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, who hails from General Santos City but has been based in Davao City since the late 1980s, is on the 11th place with a net worth of P1.5 M (P1.518,114.54).
Bag-ao and Zarate are lawyers serving mostly the marginalized.
The Top Ten Poorest Representatives are mostly from the party-list groups – eight of them – and only two district representatives
Nationwide, Bag-ao is the poorest district representative. In the previous Congress, she was a party-list representative representing Akbayan.
The House of Representatives has 289 members, 234 representing districts and 55 representing party-list groups.
Among the 234 district representatives, the richest and poorest are from Mindanao – billionaire Pacquiao and Bag-ao whose net worth is less than a million pesos.
The top poorest representative is Fernando Hicap of Anakpawis, whose net worth is P37,722.39 followed by Jonathan dela Cruz of Abakada, who declared a net worth of P550,000.
In the 289-member House, there are 68 representatives who are Mindanawons: 59 district representatives and nine party-list representatives.
Among the Mindanawons in the House, Bag-ao is the poorest district representative while Paez is the poorest party list-representative.
Richest and Poorest
The Top Ten Richest:
Pacquiao (P1.3B), Marcos (P922.8M), Belmonte (P819.7M), Alfredo Benitez of the 3rd district Negros Occidental (P713.8M), Julio Ledesma of the1st district Negros Occidental (617.3M), Mark Villar of Las Pinas (P526.4M), Ferdinand Martin Romualdez of Leyte’s 1st district (P475M), Joel Roy Duavit of Rizal’s 1st district (P272.9M), Enrique M. Cojuangco of Tarlac’s 1st district (P217.5M) and Mangudadatu (P215.8M).
The Top Ten Poorest: Fernando Hicap of Anakpawis (P37,722), Jonathan dela Cruz of Abakada (P550,000), Bag-ao (P598,000), Abigail Faye Ferriol of Kalinga (P636,980), James Mark Terry Ridon of Kabataan (P900,000), Cresente Paez of Coop-Nattco (1.098M), Emmerenciana de Jesus of Gabriela (P1.24M), Antonio Tinio of ACT Teachers (P1.277M), Francisco Ashley Acedillo of Magdalo (P1.326M), and Elmer Panotes of Camarines Norte’s 2nd district (P1.454M).
Zarate (P1.5M) ranked 11th, while Edgardo Masongsong of the party list 1CARE ranked 12th (P2M), Leah Primitiva Paquiz of ANG NARS ranked 13th (P2.17M) and Bayan Muna’s Neri Colmenares ranked14th poorest (P2.25M).
Masongsong, who represents 1st Consumers Alliance for Rural Energy, Inc. (1CARE) was former manager of the Bukidnon Second Electric Cooperative.
