MANILA, (PNA) –The Supreme Court has allowed the release of copies of the Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net (SALN) worth of all the justices of the SC even to law students.
Acting on the letter of Denzel Edward V. Cariaga, representative of the Arellano Law Class of 2017, the SC granted his request “for the 2012 SALN of all the justices of the [court], subject to the payment of the required fees[.]”
The SC reminded Cariaga “that (i) he must faithfully comply with his undertaking and declaration in the request and (ii) any violation thereof will subject him to liability imposed under Section 11, Republic Act No. 6713, in addition to any criminal, civil or administrative liability[.]”
Aside from the SALN of all the justices, Cariaga also asked the SC to furnish him a copy of the Terminal SALN of former Chief Justice Renato C. Corona.
Cariaga explained his request was for the purpose of complying with the academic requirements in Constitutional Law I.
While Cariaga’s first request was granted, the SC informed him of the unavailability of the Terminal SALN of the impeached Chief Justice as he did not submit the same.
In the SALN of the SC Justices, Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P. Aranal Sereno’s latest SALN for the year 2012 shows she has a net worth of P18,143,104.01.
Sereno’s SALN was declared with a net worth of P18.029 million in 2011.
This is higher compared to the P17.9 million declared in her 2010 SALN.
The latest SALN of Sereno covers up to Dec. 31, 2012.
It appears she has total assets of P19,155,024.89 and total liabilities of P1,011,920.89.
She has four cars, a Toyota Altis 2005 Model, Toyota Corolla 1997 Model, Mitsubishi Lancer 1993 model and Toyota Innova E 2013 model which is now under installment payments.
Her residential properties totalled to P8,973,500 composed of four residential lots in Filinvest East, Cavite and Davao. A Memorial lot in Cavite which was purchased in 1997 worth P60,000 only.
Sereno is married to Mario Jose Sereno and living at 31 Hunt st. Filinvest Homes East, Antipolo City, Rizal.
As to the richest justice, Associate Justice Mariano C. Del Castillo’s net worth for 2012 was P109,743,118.28.
Del Castillo had an increase by some P840,000 from P108,904,519.37 in 2011.
He had P110,127,634.66 in total assets and P384,516.38 in total liabilities.
The second richest justice is Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio with P83,885,614.57 in net worth for 2012.
Carpio had an increase of about P4 million from his SALN of P79,895,025.57 in 2011.
The third richest justice is Associate Justice Bienvenido L. Reyes.
Reyes had P76,542,167.31 in net worth in 2012.
He had P75,146,199 in 2011.
Associate Justice Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe is the fourth richest justice with a net worth of P73,827,435 in 2012, or an increase of over P5 million from her P67,101,327 net worth in 2011.
The poorest justice is Associate Justice Marvic Leonen who is now the most junior member of the SC.
Leonen had net worth of P1,674,623.22 for 2012.
He had P2,333,679.22 in total assets and P659,056 in liabilities.
His SALN showed he had no real properties and one car, a Ford Escape.
Associate Justices Presbitero J. Velasco, Jr. had net worth of P8,679,740.49; Teresita J. Leonardo-De Castro with P8,941,000; Arturo D. Brion with P11,908,742; Diosdado M. Peralta with P29,382,037.60; Lucas P. Bersamin with P18,811,447.87, Roberto A. Abad with P43.4 million; Martin S. Villarama, Jr. with P21,911,495.36; Jose C. Mendoza with P29,982,165.66; and Jose P. Perez with P11.76 million.
The SALN was previously not disclosed by the SC until the impeachment case of Corona came in.