The Aquino Cabinet’s wealthiest (from left): Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima and Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
Call it Multimillionaires’ Club.
The combined wealth of members of President Aquino’s official family increased by more than P121 million last year, based on their statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).
The Aquino Cabinet’s wealth grew from P2.85 billion in 2013 to P2.97 billion the following year, thanks partly to the 9.59-percent increase in Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario’s net worth.
Del Rosario remained the wealthiest Cabinet member with a P838,809,918.82 net worth last year, up by more than P73 million from the previous year.
The President himself declared a net worth of P68.3 million in 2014.
Education Secretary Armin Luistro, a member of the De La Salle Brothers, was the lone nonmillionaire among 36 members of the Cabinet. He declared a net worth of only P471,064.46.
Luistro, whose community is described as “full-time religious educators,” listed no real properties or “business interests and financial connections.” His net worth was based solely on money he kept in two bank accounts.
Next to him as the “poorest” member of the Cabinet was Presidential Peace Adviser Teresita Deles, who declared a net worth of P4,101,856.77. Deles was among six officials who declared a net worth of less than P10 million.
The others were Secretary Manuel Mamba (P8.9 million), Political Adviser Ronald Llamas (P6.39 million), Justice Secretary Leila de Lima (P4.88 million), Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz (P4.86 million) and Social Secretary Corazon Soliman (P4.54 million).
Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima placed second among the top Cabinet millionaires last year, dislodging Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez whose 2014 net worth was P283,425,800. Purisima declared a net worth of P298,940,320, which represented a P19.9-million increase from 2013.
Still at No. 4 was Interior Secretary Mar Roxas even if his net worth dropped by P8.9 million from 2013 to 2014. He is now worth P202,080,452.71, down from P211,027,479.88. Roxas declared P81.88 million in total liabilities.
Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo kept the fifth spot with a net worth of P148,636,967, which was around P2 million less than the one he declared in 2013.
Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras moved a notch higher from No. 7 in 2013. His 2014 net worth was P134,247,040.17, up by P14.4 million from the previous year.
Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla also improved with a net worth of P122,095,110, which was P5 million higher than 2013. He now sat at No. 7.
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Alfredo Benjamin Caguiao was down two places from No. 6 in 2013. He is now at No. 8 with a P117,175,000 net worth.
At No. 9 was Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya with P108,115,680.13, followed by former Health Secretary Enrique Ona with P93,692,345.56.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala remained at 11th place with a net worth of P91,170,935.37.
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