|
Thursday, June 26, 2003
Lots show councilors’ wealth
By Gingging A. Campaña
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
ELEVEN members of the Cebu City Council own real estate other than the house they live in. Eleven have relatives who also work for the government. Eleven also own more than one vehicle.
That’s according to the latest statements of assets and liabilities (SALs) they submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas.
Sun.Star, after rounding up the councilors’ SALs earlier, also got a copy yesterday of the SAL filed by Councilor Eugenio Faelnar, Association of Barangay Councils president, who declared his net worth at P6.34 million.
That makes him the seventh richest councilor in the list and the 15th millionaire in the 19-member City Council.
Except for earning P1,000 monthly as Guadalupe village chief for the last nine years and his salary as an ex-officio member of the 9th City Council, Faelnar listed no other source of income.
A councilor makes a little over P26,300 a month.
Landed lawmakers
According to his SAL, Faelnar has four residential lots in Barangay Guadalupe worth P4.37 million and P1 million in bank savings.
Councilor Carmelita Piramide owns real estate in Barangays Pit-os, Mabolo and Sirao in Cebu City, as well as in Lawaan, Talisay City. Her family recently acquired a lot in Mactan.
Councilor Manuel Legaspi acquired parcels of land in the southern Cebu town of Moalboal, apart from the one he occupies in Barangay Capitol Site.
Councilor Rodrigo Abellanosa confirmed owning a condominium unit in Citylights Towers in Nivel Hills, subdivision lots in Bulacao, a building and lot on Urgello St. and a condominium unit in Ortigas Center, Pasig City.
Apart from where he lives in Barangay Bacayan, Councilor Gerardo Carillo owns residential lots in Talisay City, and in Barangays Pardo and Buhisan, Cebu City.
Carillo, who chairs the committee on social services and socialized housing and the committee on land acquisition, also bought farm lots in Sitio Tac-an, Budlaan.
Of the 10 landed legislators, Fernandez has the most number of real estate holdings, 17, which he acquired in the last three decades.
Donated too
Whether bought, inherited or donated, land is one of the signs of prosperity many of the councilors share.
Fernandez, a lawyer who runs a fishing business, is the third richest councilor, declaring a net worth of P23.6 million. He owns a resthouse and buildings in Barangays Suba, Pasil and Tisa in Cebu City and in Tangke, Talisay City.
He confirmed having parcels of land in Barangays Suba, Pasil, Tisa and Sinsin in Cebu City and in Talisay City.
Fernandez owns agricultural lands in Barangays Bugang and Hagbuyo, San Miguel town and Barangay Hinlayagan, Manuel Roxas town of Bohol Province.
Apart from his ancestral home on Zulueta St., Councilor Christopher Alix has land, which he bought in 2001 in Peace Valley, Barangay Guadalupe.
Alix, a dentist, also owns a water refilling station.
Councilor Danilo Fernan, for his part, has real estate in Davao City.
Although he declared a net worth of P40,000, Councilor Arsenio Pacaña has land in Sitio Nazareth, Buhisan.
Councilor Nestor Archival declared 15 under real property, including buildings in Barangay Talamban, Cebu City, in Garden Ridge Village in Mandaue City and a condominium unit in Tuscania in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City.
Aside from his home on F. Ramos St., Gabriel Leyson declared an inherited estate in Barangay Taptap, as well as donated lands and buildings in Banawa, Guadalupe.
Public ties
But apart from revealing their sources of income and financial interests, the SALs also show who among the lawmakers have relatives working for the government.
Sun.Star learned from Councilor Pacaña’s SAL that he and Carillo are distant cousins. Carillo did not state that in his SAL.
Carillo’s wife is Department of Social Welfare and Development 7 information officer Jaybee Binghay-Carillo. His mother is a public school teacher.
Councilor Abellanosa’s brother is a barangay councilman in Duljo-Fatima and his nephew is a utility worker detailed to his office at City Hall.
George Rama and Michael Rama are cousins.
Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera has six relatives in government. Her sister is a clerk detailed to her office. Three cousins work in City Hall. Another cousin works with the Commission on Audit and a sister in-law is with the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas.
Fernandez’s two daughters work in City Hall, one with the budget office and the other with the assessor’s office.
Pacaña’s bother is general manager of National Power Corp. in Dumaguete City.
Gov. George Hofer of Sibugay Province is the brother-in-law of Councilor Vicente Kintanar Jr. Rep. Simeon Kintanar of Cebu’s second district is the councilor’s uncle.
Archival has five relatives in government. Two of his cousins-in-law are both town mayors in Cebu: Santander Mayor Wilson Wenceslao and Ginatilan Mayor Dean Michael Singco.
Land Transportation Office 7 Director Alex Leyson is Councilor Leyson’s cousin.
Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation President Glena Bontuyan’s brother works as her executive assistant in the SK Federation office.
Piramide has four relatives in the government: an aunt and another relative both work as public school teachers. Cebu City Health Officer Felicitas Manaloto is her sister.
(June 26, 2003 issue)
Want Sun.Star news on your mobile phone? Click here.
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[ return
to top ]
[ home
]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
