Cynthia Villar: It’s Manny who knows how our family got richer

Only former Senator and real-estate tycoon Manny Villar knows how his family got richer by more than P1 billion last year, his wife Senator Cynthia Villar said in jest on Tuesday.

From P1.983 billion in 2014, the lady senator’s net worth jumped to P3.5 billion based on her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) as of Dec. 31, 2015.

This makes her not only the richest among the 24 senators but also the Senate’s only billionaire.

READ: Villar still senate’s wealthiest get richer; Escudero poorest

“Alam mo yang pagyaman namin ni Manny, sya ang nakakalam nyan.  Hindi ko naman alam yan, hindi ako nagbi-business kaya lang joint filing kami, di ba mag asawa,” Senator Villar said in a phone patch interview with Senate reporters.

(You know that increase in wealth of Manny and I, it’s him who knows about it. I have no knowledge of that, I don’t engage in business that’s why we do joint-filing [of SALN], being husband and wife.)

“Pero sya ang nakakaalam pano nangyari dyan. Hindi naman ako nagbi-business ngayon, yan ang tama e….Simple lang tayo, hindi naman natin alam yang mga ganyan,” she said in between laughs.

(But he is the one who has the knowledge in that. I don’t engage in business now, which is just but right. We’re simple [people], we don’t know that kind of thing.)

Even before their entry into politics, the Villar family has been involved in several businesses, like real-estate, malls and convenience stores, among others.

The former senator is also the president of the oldest political party in the Philippines, the Nacionalista Party, which recently forged an alliance with presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte’s PDP-Laban.

Below is the list of the senators’ net worth in 2015:

1. Senator Cynthia Villar: P3,500,565,481.00
2. Senator Ralph Recto: P531,670,710.00
3. Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.: P211,077,912.37
4. Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada: P193,162,258.78
5. Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.: P173,394,137.77
6. Senator Juan Ponce Enrile: P122,118,754.00
7. Senator Sonny Angara: P118,268,372.00
8. Senator Teofisto Guingona III: P103,886,695.00
9. Senator Sergio Osmena III: P90,525,000.00
10. Senator Grace Poe: P89,118,760.00
11. Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago: P 85,909,512.00
12. Senator Franklin Drilon: P 79,016,838.00
13. Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito: P 78,675,444.48
14. Senator Pia Cayetano: P 73,322,136.23
15. Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III: P 66,800,280.00
16. Senator Nancy Binay: P61,360,864.00
17. Senator Lito Lapid: P 43,150,000.00
18. Senator Loren Legarda: P40,545,259.42
19. Senator Bam Aquino: P28,751,800.59
20. Senator Alan Peter Cayetano: P23,564,540.00
21. Senator Gringo Honasan: P20,944,738.00
22. Senator Aqulino “Koko” Pimentel III: P17,920,025.00
23. Senator Antonio Trillanes IV: P5,984,089.77
24. Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero: P5,847,082.09

TVJ/rga

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