Most of us have financial growth, if we have businesses or income. But for me, I am rich in service.

CYNTHIA Villar, still the richest senator with more than P3-billion in assets.

The composition of the Senate remains a millionaire’s club, but with two members reporting assets of more than P3 billion each.

Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, however, is the poorest neophyte member in the latest summary of the senators’ statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

Cynthia Villar remains the richest senator with P3.534 billion net worth with no liabilities. After the elections, she was P185 million poorer as she declared P3.719 billion last 31 December.

World boxing champion and Sen. Manny Pacquiao’s ranking remained the same at second with P3.151 billion worth of assets, less P146 million worth of liabilities and declaring P3.005 billion total wealth.

“This is not about being the richest in the Senate,” Go said. “Should we have a lot of properties or wealth? I think that is not important.”

“What is important is one tells the truth and state what a senator really owns,” Go added. “Most of us have (financial) growth, if we have businesses or income. But for me, I am rich in service.”

The SALN summary included the declared wealth of four neophytes, three returning and five reelected senators. The SALN of the 12 senators continuing their terms remained the same.

The latest summary was released Wednesday through the Senate website.

Declaring P28.070 million worth of assets and P12.562 million in liabilities, Go has P15.508 million net worth as of 30 June 2019.

He ranked 23rd on the list of senators who have the highest amount of net worth.

Sen. Leila de Lima, currently in jail of drug charges, is at 24th with P7,706,392.45 in assets.

Meanwhile, the three other neophyte Senators Ronald de la Rosa, Imee Marcos and Francis Tolentino ranked 19th, 17th and 14th in the list, respectively.

De la Rosa, a former National Police chief and only recently retired, declared P32.690 million in assets and P4.431 million in liabilities for a senator really owns,” Go added. “Most of us have (financial) growth, if we have businesses or income. But for me, I am rich in service.”

The SALN summary included the declared wealth of four neophytes, three returning and five reelected senators. The SALN of the 12 senators continuing their terms remained the same.

Declaring P28.070 million worth of assets and P12.562 million in liabilities, Go has P15.508 million net worth as of 30 June 2019.

He ranked 23rd on the list of senators who have the highest amount of net worth.

Sen. Leila de Lima, currently in jail of drug charges, is at 24th with P7,706,392.45 in assets.

Meanwhile, the three other neophyte Senators Ronald de la Rosa, Imee Marcos and Francis Tolentino ranked 19th, 17th and 14th in the list, respectively.

De la Rosa, a former National Police chief and only recently retired, declared P32.690 million in assets and P4.431 million in liabilities for a P28.258 million net worth.

Marcos, former Ilocos Norte governor, disclosed P29.970 million in net worth, having P40.970 million worth of assets and P11 million in liabilities.

Tolentino, a former presidential political adviser, stated P62.482 million net worth with P92.712 million assets and P30.230 liabilities.

Of the three returning members of the Senate, Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. reported the highest net worth of P164 million.

The occasional actor ranked as the fifth wealthiest lawmaker of the chamber after declaring P202 million assets minus the P37.9 million liabilities.

His net worth stood at P125.7 million in 2010 and it grew by P21.5 million in 2011. The following year, Revilla reported his net worth at P162.1 million.

In 2013, when allegations that he benefitted from the pork barrel scam that had Janet Lim Napoles as conduit broke out, Revilla reported a mere P4.6 million increase to his net worth which grew to P166.7 million, merely P2 million less on the stretch of four years that he spent in prison for the scam.

Revilla was acquitted from charges of plunder related to the misuse of P224.5 million worth of public funds.

His chief of staff Richard Cambe, however, was convicted. Napoles is also serving time for her role in the pork barrel scam.

The Sandiganbayan also ordered Revilla to return P124.5 million to the national treasury, which the senator said he will not do.

Former Taguig representative and now Sen. Pia Cayetano is at the 10th spot with a net worth of P82.308 million as of 1 July 2019. She recorded P89 million assets and P7 million liabilities in her SALN.

Returning Sen. Manuel Lapid is the 13th richest senator with P69.9 million in his SALN. Lapid, whose wife Marissa is under probation after a US court found her guilty of dollar smuggling in 2013, declared P166 million in assets and P96.5 million worth of liabilities.

Another reelected lawmaker, Sen. Sonny Angara, is still one of the richest senators ranking sixth with P139 million. He was fifth from the previous list of richest senators during the 17th Congress. After his reelection, Angara was poorer by P4 million.

Sen. Grace Poe remained as the ninth wealthiest senator. Even after her reelection, she is richer by P2 million declaring P95.693 million net worth as of 30 June 2019 compared to her P93.039 million net worth as of 31 December 2018.

Reelected Sen. Nancy Binay dropped from the rankings from number 12 as of year-end of 2018 to number 15 as of 30 June 2019. She declared P60.132 million in her previous SALN and now has P59.911 million wealth.

From number 16 to 18, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III also dropped from the list of the wealthiest senators despite the increase in his declared net worth. After his reelection, Pimentel declared P29.934 million net worth compared to his 2018 wealth amounting P28.662 million.

From being number 11 during the 17th Congress, Sen. President Vicente Sotto III dropped to number 12 with P70.120 million net worth, with P129.051 million assets and P58.931 million liabilities.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto’s maintained his position in the list at third with P555 million net worth on P645 million assets and P89.823 million worth of liabilities.

Recto was followed by Senate Majority Floor Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, declaring P182 million net worth with P316 million worth of assets and P133 million worth of liabilities.

Senate Minority Floor Leader Franklin Drilon ranked seventh with P97 million net worth.