Leni poorer by P7.8 M due to poll protest

Vice President Leni Robredo became poorer by P7.8 million in 2017 after incurring higher debts due to expenses in the ongoing electoral protest of former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

In her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth

(SALN) submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman on April 30, Robredo declared a net worth of P1,114,102.84 as of Dec. 31, 2017, lower by 87.4 percent from her declared net worth of P8,878,111.43 at the end of 2016.

Robredo’s 2017 net worth was also lower by 89.9 percent from P11,053,138 when she assumed office on June 30, 2016.

The decrease in her net worth was mainly due to her liabilities which ballooned to P11.9 million, an increase of 72.46 percent from P6.9 million in 2016.

Robredo incurred additional loans of P5 million from her late husband’s relatives Pablito Chua (P1 million), Vicente Hao Chin Jr. (P2 million) and Rafael Bundoc (P2 million).

Robredo also has personal loans from her mother Salvacion Gerona amounting to P750,000, her brother-in-law Jose Robredo Jr. amounting to P1.15 million, sister-in-law Jocelyn Austria (P2 million) and the estates of her parentsin-law Marcelina and Jose Robredo (P3 million). The same amounts of loans were declared in her 2016 SALN.

Robredo earlier deposited to Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) P8 million as initial payment for her counter-protest against Marcos after the dictator’s son filed a protest against Robredo in June 2016 to contest her victory in the vice presidential race.

“Yes. She had to borrow money to pay the protest fees required by PET. Supportive citizens raised money through contributions and attempted to submit to PET, but their petition was denied. So the VP had to raise the money herself,” Robredo’s legal adviser Barry Gutierrez said in a text message to reporters yesterday.

Gutierrez was referring to the P7.5 million raised by the group Piso Para sa Laban ni Leni to help Robredo pay the fees.

The PET ruled with finality on the petition filed by the group in December 2017.

Lower assets

Robredo’s assets went down by 17.5 percent mainly due to the smaller value of her cash amounting to P6.176 million from P8.94 million in 2016.

Apart from cash, the values of Robredo’s other personal properties remained the same from 2016, including her furniture and appliances (P1.5 million), jewelry (P1 million), prepaid insurance (P630,000), Toyota Innova acquired in 2010 (P1.12 million) and Toyota Grandia acquired in 2014 (P1.75 million).

The value of Robredo’s real properties also remained the same at P1.735 million which include two residential lots, three agricultural lots, a house, an orchard and a memorial lot all located in Naga City.

Robredo also declared that she has business interest with Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) as share holder.