SEN. Nancy Binay yesterday said the lack of communication between her and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano regarding the construction of the new Senate building (NSB) may have something to do with the territorial rift between Makati City and Taguig City.
Reporters tried to get a comment from Cayetano, but his office said the senator will give a statement after the committee hearing today.
Binay, in a press conference, said Cayetano would not have a hard time looking for documents needed on the NSB if only he had communicated with her.
Binay was chair of the Committee on Accounts responsible for overseeing the construction of the NSB, but Cayetano took over the chairmanship following the change of leadership in the chamber on May 20.
Binay said she did not reach out to Cayetano because she does not want to preempt the new chairman with regard to the NSB.
“I have to wait when he wants to talk to me or if he really wants to talk to me, because I really don’t know if he wants to talk to me,” she said in Filipino.
Binay said she also learned that she was not named vice chairman of the committee, or even included as a member, contrary to Senate tradition.
She said she can attend today’s scheduled committee hearing in relation to the NSB but only in her capacity as a senator but cannot cast her vote or be considered part of the quorum.
Binay said she does not want to think that the non-communication may have been due to the Makati City and Taguig City territorial dispute, especially now that she has made known her plan to run for Makati City mayor in the 2025 elections.
Binay is no longer eligible for reelection since she has served for two consecutive six-year terms.
Binay said if Cayetano only have made the proper communication with her, committee hearing would not be needed.
Senate President Francis Escudero earlier said the hearing was called for because the Department of Public Works and Highways which is implementing the project was “not cooperative.” Last month, he suspended the construction of the building because of escalating costs.
“Is the intention, really, to finish the building, find out the truth about the building or is it all about politics like 2016?… If you take a look, the templates are the same, same components… he has not yet called staff members… Usually, if one is appointed to a new post, the system would be is to call the staff members, you call your people to introduce yourself that you will now be in charge in the construction of the new Senate building…They have never done that even after a month has already passed,” she said in Filipino.
