City mayors own real estate, bank accounts
Toledo City Mayor John Henry “Sonny” Osmeña is the wealthiest and most cash-rich among seven city mayors in Cebu, based on self-declared finance records.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama is the poorest, based on his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) filed with the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas.
All seven mayors still belong to millionaires’ row.
Rama, a lawyer, has the lowest net worth of P4.69 million and Osmeña the highest at P142.08 million as of Dec. 31, 2014.
Osmeña, whose family has vast real estate holdings, served as senator for 15 years before he was elected mayor of Toledo City in 2013.
The annual records were filed as required by law to establish their net worth, or actual wealth, computed as total assets minus total liabilities.
The disclosure is a way for the Ombudsman to track financial records for any sign of ill-gotten wealth. It also identifies all relatives of a public official who are working in the government.
(Only the SALNs of Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza and Naga City Mayor Valdemar Chiong were not immediately released by the Ombudsman Office, whose staff said they were still sorting them out.)
Danao City Mayor Ramon Durano III trailed closedly behind Osmeña in terms of cash in bank at yearend.
Osmeña had P10.88 million while Durano had P10 million.
The second wealthiest mayor in Cebu is Bogo’s Celestino “Junie” Martinez Jr., then Danao City’s Ramon Durano III, Carcar’s Nicepuro Apura and Mandaue City’s Jonas Cortes.
Talisay City’s Johnny delos Reyes, who owns a mountain resort in Balamban and a company, is still ahead of Mayor Rama with P10 million in net worth.
The SALN is part of the government policy to uphold transparency and accountability of public officials.
ASSETS
Osmeña listed real estate and personal assets amounting to P163.9 million. This included cash of P10.88 million, a Toyota Hilux and Isuzu Altera worth P2.7 million, stocks worth P113.7 million, household furniture and appliances worth P3.6 million, and properties with a total value of P33.03 million.
His properties include an P8 million condominium unit at the exclusive Ayala Premier 1016 Residences in Cebu Business Park and a P6.4-million unit in the family’s Maryville Condominium.
He also declared a house and lot in Silay City, Negros Occidental and four parcels of land in Tuburan town in Cebu, Los Baños in Laguna, barangay Pangamihan in Toledo City, and Don Salvador Benedicto in Negros Occidental.
His liabilities of P21.8 million include a P7.6-million bank loan from Pamplona Rural Bank.
Osmeña declared shareholdings in Pamplona Plantation Holdings, Pamplona Plantation Golf and Country Club, Pamplona Plantation Leisure Corp., and Pueblo De Pamplona, Inc.
He declared his cousin Sen. Sergio Osmeña III as his only relative working in government.
The second wealthiest local chief executive in Cebu is Bogo City Mayor Celestino “Junie” Martinez Jr., who declared a net worth of P32.18 million.
His assets included a “land and development (building)” worth P34.1 million, transportation equipment (P10 million); farm machinery (P1.4 million); cash (P1.6 million); and other real properties (P3.67 million).
CASH-RICH
Danao City Mayor Ramon Durano III ranked third with a net worth of P26.16 million.
He said he owns 27 parcels of land and a house worth P700,020, a Volvo S80 sports car valued at P4.5 million, furniture and antiques (P2.5 million), jewelry (P3 million), cash in bank (P10 million), and a motorcycle (P120,000).
Durano said he has 13 relatives in government service. They include Rep. Joseph Felix Mari “Ace” Durano (son), Danao City Vice Mayor Ramon Durano VI (son), Cebu Provincial Board Members Jude Thaddeus Sybico and Peter John Calderon (nephews), Samboan Mayor Raymond Joseph Calderon (nephew).
The fourth richest city mayor in Cebu is Nicepuro Apura of Carcar City with a net worth of P22.2 million
Among his properties are the Detasie Shoe Factory and Acacia Grill & Restaurant in Carcar.
Apura is followed by Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes whose wealth was self declared at about P21 million.
He said he owns at least 30 parcels of land in Mandaue City, Mactan and Leyte worth P10.045 million. Cortes said he also owns 12 vehicles worth P2.9 million.
Talisay City Mayor Johnny De Los Reyes reported a net worth of P10 million.
Among his assets is the Island in the Sky Resort in Ga-as, Balamban town in midwest Cebu. He also has properties in Zamboanga del Norte.
De Los Reyes, who was elected mayor in 2013, owns JVY Industries and JVR Island in the Sky Resort.
He listed three relatives in government service — his son John Yre who serves as city administrator of Talisay; his daughter Iris May, and brother Joel who both work as his executive assistants at City Hall.
LOWEST
Mayor Rama, who reported the lowest net worth, listed assets that include a P2-million Rama property that he inherited.
He P1.59 million cash in bank; jewelry (P125,000); investment (P300,000); furniture (P350,000); and stocks (P641,300).
His sole liability is a personal loan worth P350,000.
Rama said he has been “on leave” from the Rama and Associates Law Office since July 1, 2010.
He named eight relatives in government service: Tinago barangay councilor Jude Lopez, Sambag I councilor Ramon Rama, Department of Health regional director Susana Madarietta in Western Visayas, Cebu City Medical Center consultants Deborah Limchiu and Naomi Poca; Cebu City Hall executive assistant Eduardo Rama Jr.; and Bureau of Immigration technical assistant Tara Rama.
Barangay captain George Rama of Basak San Nicolas, a cousin, died last January, but he was listed because the SALN covered the year 2014.
Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees require all public officials and employees to submit their SALNs every year.
They need to declare under oath their assets and liabilities, net worth and financial and business interests including those of their spouses and of unmarried children under 18 years of age living in their households.