Roberto Benedicto
Roberto Salas Benedicto (April 17, 1917 – May 15, 2000) was a Filipino lawyer, ambassador, diplomat, and banker historically most remembered as a crony of President Ferdinand Marcos. Benedicto owned Philippine Exchange Company, the Philippines Daily Express, Radio Philippines Network (RPN), Banahaw Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC). Benedicto was the Philippines' ambassador to Japan from 1972 to 1978.
Roberto Benedicto | |
|---|---|
| Ambassador of the Philippines to Japan | |
| In office 1972–1978 | |
| President | Ferdinand Marcos |
| Preceded by | José Laurel III |
| Succeeded by | Carlos J. Valdés |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Roberto Salas Benedicto April 17, 1917 La Carlota, Negros Occidental, Philippine Islands |
| Died | May 15, 2000 (aged 83) Bacolod City, Philippines |
| Resting place | Loyola Memorial Park, Marikina, Philippines |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Spouse | Julita Campos |
| Known for | Founder of Philippines Daily Express, Radio Philippines Network and Banahaw Broadcasting Corporation |
At the prime of his career, Benedicto's business empire consisted of 85 corporations, 106 sugar farms, 14 haciendas, other agricultural lands, 17 radio stations, 16 television stations, 2 telecommunications networks, 7 buildings, 10 vessels and 5 aircraft. He also owned 14 hectares of real estate in Bacolod City, 13.5 billion shares in Oriental Petroleum, and membership shares in golf and country clubs estimated at almost half a million US dollars. Overseas, he owned a sugar mill in Venezuela, a trading company in Madrid, bank deposits, mansions, and limousines in California. Marcos's executive secretary estimated that in 1983, Benedicto's net worth was $800 million.