Angara son sixth richest lawmaker

Thirty-three-year-old lawyer Juan Edgardo Angara, son of Sen. Edgardo Angara, has emerged as the youngest multi-millionaire in the House of Representatives and was ranked sixth among the richest, with a net worth of P107 million.

Records show that the Aurora congressman declared only P2 million in liabilities, as indicated in a six-page summary report of the statement of assets and liabilities House members had submitted as of December 2005.

For the last eight years, Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar, wife of Sen. Manny Villar, held the distinction of being the richest member of the House, with a net worth of P759.8 million with zero liabilities.

President Arroyo’s brother-in-law, Ignacio Arroyo of Negros Occidental, came in second with P287.4 million; followed by Iloilo City’s Judy Syjuco with P255 million; while fourth was Dr. Ferjenel Biron, whose family owns a pharmaceutical firm, with P217.5 million.

Among the children of President Arroyo and those of former presidents, like Corazon Aquino and late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo, 37, emerged as the richest, with a P76.9 million in net worth.

The former Pampanga vice governor declared P61.8 million in liabilities. Ilocos Norte Rep. Imee Marcos, 50, reported P10.1 million in net worth and no liabilities. Aquino’s son, 46-year-old Benigno III of Tarlac, is worth P13.4 million.

As for the children of religious organizations, like the El Shaddai of Bro. Mike Velarde and the Jesus Is Lord movement of defeated presidential candidate Bro. Eddie Villanueva, the son of Velarde proved to be richer than Villlanueva’s son.

Buhay party-list Rep. Rene Velarde is worth P30.9 million with P890,977 in liabilities while Joel Villanueva of Citizens Battle Against Corruption declared an P18.2-million net worth with P9.3 million in liabilities.

Apart from Mikey Arroyo and Angara, there are several other House members who have made it to millionaires’ row even if they are just in their early 30s, some of them scions of prominent political families.

The son of basketball legend-turned-senator Robert Jaworski, Robert "Dudut" Jr., 34, of Pasig City, reported a net worth of P41.8 million with zero liabilities.

Thirty-six-year-old Rep. Abraham Mitra of Palawan, son of the late Speaker Ramon Mitra Jr., is worth P39.1 million.

Rep. Gilbert Remulla, 35, son of former Cavite Gov. Juanito Remulla, reported a P26.3 million net worth, with only P2.7 million in liabilities.

Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon, 37, son of opposition Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, is worth P5.6 million.

Miles Roces, 37, son-in-law of Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, is worth P19.9 million. Thirty-three-year-old Darlene Antonino-Custodio of South Cotabato has P15.1-million net worth while lawyer Justin Chipeco, 31, of Laguna is worth P8.6 million.

House Minority Leader Francis Escudero, the 36-year-old first district congressman of Sorsogon, declared a P6.9-million net worth, while one of his deputies, Alan Peter Cayetano, 35, of Taguig-Pateros, posted a net worth of P15.6 million.

Among the leftist party-list congressmen, Liza Maza of women’s group Gabriela and Rene Magtubo of Partido ng Manggagawa have made it to the millionaires’ list — Maza being worth P1.8 million while Magtubo is P300,000 poorer.

Members of the so-called "Batasan Five," or those lawmakers who holed themselves up inside the House to evade arrest on rebellion charges for over two months, posted only a few hundred thousand pesos in net worth, except for Rafael Mariano of Anakpawis who claims he is worth only P18,537.

Bayan Muna Reps. Satur Ocampo declared a P372,589 net worth; Teodoro Casiño, P307,900; and Joel Virador, P57,000. Detained Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran, 73, reported a net worth of P85,000.

Other lawmakers, notably former Batangas governor and investment banker Hermilando Mandanas, reported a net worth of only P11,652.

Bicycle-riding congressman Manual "Way Kurat" Zamora of Compostella Valley said he is worth P5.4 million.

Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay, who owns three private planes and is a tabloid magnate, declared his worth at P29.7 million.

Quezon City Rep. Mary Ann Susano, who rides in style with her dark green Rolls Royce and whose family deals in real estate, reported P89.2 million in wealth.

Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. of Pangasinan listed assets worth P57 million.