SEN. Alan Peter Cayetano yesterday accused Sen. Nancy Binay of muddling the “public review” of the Committee on Accounts on the cost of constructing a new building for the Senate.
Binay, at the latter part of the hearing, walked out after arguing with Cayetano on his statement that the cost of the building being constructed in Taguig City will balloon from the original P8.9 billion to over P23 billion.
The construction was stopped by Senate President Francis Escudero in May because of the increased cost. He then ordered a review.
Cayetano is chair of the accounts committee which Binay headed before Escudero assumed the post of Senate chief in May, in a coup that ousted Juan Miguel Zubiri.
Cayetano said he got the figures from the Senate Coordinating Team (SCT), which is still composed of the same members when Binay was booted out as panel chairman.
“Senate President Escudero said that so far the total cost of constructing the new building has already reached P23 billion. And that was the figure given to me by the SCT which is composed of your former staff, and that figure includes the cost of the lot,” Cayetano said in mixed Filipino and English.
“So, what is the issue here? There is no issue… If you want to tell me that the figures given to me by your former staff are wrong, and you have different numbers, you’re welcome to submit. But how can you argue with what they submitted to me and how can you argue with what the Senate President said?” Cayetano also said.
‘PROPER CONTEXT’
Binay argued they should be talking of the “proper context” of the total cost, saying that Cayetano added up all the components that were not part of the original costing.
She said the cost of completing the new Senate building (NSB) is only around P21.7 billion and not P23.3 billion as what Cayetano and Escudero have been saying.
Cayetano said the matter has been properly explained by the resource persons from the Department of Public Works and Highways which is implementing the project.
Cayetano then asked Binay to explain the P600 million allotted for the landscaping of the NSB.
Binay said it should be the DPWH that should explain. She also said that during her time as committee chair, the landscaping project has not been discussed.
Cayetano said Binay was informed of the landscaping project way back in March 2023. She replied that they were still “in the process of reviewing everything.”
He said it was wrong for Binay to blame the new Senate leadership for the delay in finishing the NSB because she apparently did not nothing to speed up the construction of the NSB.
“How will the building be finished when the Phase 3 [of the project] has been submitted to you and then you’re telling us that that is not the numbers because you are still reviewing it. March 20, 2023, and it’s already July 3, 2024. Fifteen months, it has been on your table then you have the gall to tell all of us that the cause of delay was because of us… You have just admitted it,” he said.
Cayetano said Binay should have provided figures after the change in committee chairmanship so he can compare them with what was given to him by the SCT.
He also accused her of going to the media to air their differences.
Cayetano said his job was to review the costing but if Binay just wants a debate, they should do it outside the committee public review proceedings.
“So, the point Sen. Binay, do you want to help or do you want to, gusto mo lang guluhin ito? Kasi from the start ginugulo mo eh, pati yung credibility nung aming review eh. (So, the point Sen. Binay, do you want to help or do you want to muddle, even the credibility of our review),” he said.
Binay replied, “Mr. Chairman, my goal is to just finish with the construction of the building.”
DELAYS
Cayetano butted in and said the building cannot be completed under Binay’s watch since she sat on it for 15 months.
“Ano ba intention mo na ginugulo mo ang hearing namin? …It’s P23 billion total. Walang nagsabi dito na P23 billion total DPWH… Ang dami mo nang inimbento sa media. Kung saan-saan mo na nilalabas ang issue (What is your intention that you are messing up our hearing? …It’s P23 billion total. Nobody said that it’s P23 billion total DPWH…You have invented many things on your media interviews and you are bringing this matter up in so many forums),” he said.
Binay said she is not making things up. She said the figures provided her by the DPWH was at only P21.7 billion.
Cayetano said the issue on the NSB has nothing to do with what Binay said could be the past rift between Taguig City and Makati City.
To cut it short, Cayetano asked Binay to present figures that the P23 billion he got from the SCT is wrong.
“Now if you want to say that we invented that P23 billion, then show me what the numbers are and will talk to the SCT and ask why did they invent the figures, if the indeed invented the figures. But if not, because P23 billion was what they gave me. So, what is the issue?… So, in your figures, it’s just P21.7B, the amount paid for the lot was not included. So, what is the issue?)” he said.
Binay said Cayetano did not get it right since based on the DPWH records, the amount to complete the building is only P21.7 billion. He said the P23 billion figure did not come from the DPWH as it was from the SCT since the cost of the land purchase was included.
“So ma’am, make your point and move on kasi out of order ka na (So, ma’am make your point and move because you are already out of order,” he added.
To prove her point, Binay asked the DPWH if there was a P23 billion amount which was reflected in its report, to which the DPWH said “there is none, Mr. Chair.”
“Thank you. So, Mr. Chairman, my point, there is no such thing as P23 billion in the DPWH,” Binay said before standing up to walk away from the hearing.
Cayetano said all things should be settled within the process of the public review and not bring it elsewhere.
He, however, said that Binay can still attend the next hearing which he has yet to schedule.
