SC justices richer in 2013, SALNs show

THE Supreme Court’s justices become richer in 2013 as shown by their Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth, which the 15-member bench had agreed to release last month following the petitions by several media outfits.

The magistrates made their asset statements public after the Aquino administration’s allies inquired about the judiciary’s funds, and following the high court’s declaration that both the lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Fund and President Benigno Aquino III’s Disbursement Acceleration Program were unconstitutional.

Associate Justice Mariano Del Castillo was the richest magistrate last year when his net worth reached P122,217,723.13, up by over P12 million from his net worth of P109,743,118.28 in 2012.

Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, the most senior magistrate, was worth P84,309,762.57 against P83,885,614.57 in 2012.

The most junior magistrate, Associate Justice Marvic Leonen had a net worth of P1,817,706.75, slightly up from P1,674,623.22 in 2012.

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno’s net worth also increased, and to P19,012,648.21 from P18,143,104.01.

Associate Justice Bienvenido Reyes was worth P78,274,991 last year compared with P76,542,167.31 in 2012.

Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe had P74,633,410 in 2013 against P73,827,435 the previous year.

Associate Justice Roberto Abad, who retired from the judiciary last May 22, showed a net worth of P47.3 million.

Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta had a net worth of P32,438,231.25, Justice Jose Mendoza had P31,578,801.43, Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin had P27,818,400.00, Justice Martin Villarama Jr. had P24,071,521.84, Justice Arturo Brion had P16,599,909, Justice Jose Perez had P13,599,000, Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro had P10,416,000, and Presbitero Velasco Jr. had P10,385,089.49.

The justices released their asset statements for the first time after 20 years in August 2012, some two months after the high court released the guidelines for releasing them.

The high court made the move after the Senate impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona on May 29 last year for failing to declare all his assets in his SALN.

In a resolution on May 2, 1989, the high court denied the request of a Jose Alejandrino that the justices release their asset statements.

The Court stood by that resolution in 1992, when it issued another resolution saying it wanted to protect justices and judges from acts that might “endanger, diminish or destroy their independence and objectivity in the performance of their judicial functions.” –Rey E. Requejo, Manila Standard Today