SENATE President Francis Escudero yesterday said there is “no price cap” on the cost to finish the construction of the new Senate building even as he said that he has yet to see an “acceptable” amount for the project’s completion.
In a press conference, Escudero said he is expecting Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, chairperson of the Committee on Accounts, to soon wrap-up his review of the NSB costing and submit a report “this coming August or before the month of August ends.”
Escudero said imposing a price cap on the project cost is not advisable as there could be additional construction work that needs to be done to finish the project which were not included in the initial costing.
“Kasi unfair naman na mag price cap kami tapos hindi tapos. Para lang naming niloko ang sarili namin at hindi rin naaayon sa common sense ‘yun. ‘Yung kailangang gastusin upang matapos na ayon nga kay Senator Nancy (Binay), maski na paano ay maganda at hindi naman pangit pero kung kayang pababain, papababain naming (It would be unfair if we impose a price cap. It will be like fooling ourselves and that is not using common sense. The things that Sen Nancy Binay [Binay] said are needed seem okay, but maybe we can still lower the cost),” he said.
Escudero ordered for a review of the NSB costing after learning that the initial cost to construct it increased from P8.9 billion to P23.3 billion.
Cayetano, after conducting two hearings, said the cost could even reach P25 billion to P27 billion due to the inflationary costs of the materials, based on the estimates of the Department of Public Works and Highways which is implementing the project.
Cayetano and Binay have been at odds over the issue, with the latter filing a complaint against the former with the ethics committee after they engaged in a heated exchange over the project’s cost.
The ethics committee has said it would subject Binay’s complaint to a “conciliation process” and try to settle the two senators’ differences before conducting a formal hearing if the mediation fails.
Meanwhile, while the new building has yet to be completed, Escudero made improvements in their present building, which the upper chamber is renting from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) in Pasay City.
Escudero said the facelift was of minimal cost.
“We spent very little on these. Actually, most of these were only maintenance work and maintenance jobs and basically rearranging,” he said.
He said the paintings along the Senate’s main entrance was lent to them by the National Museum and the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
The paintings, he said, will continue to be put on display in the NSB in Taguig City.
He also said the National Museum and the CCP have agreed to hold a painting contest so that the winners’ masterpieces will be displayed at the NSB.