Senator Alan Peter Cayetano said on Monday, July 8 that he will remain focused on conducting a factual and independent review of the New Senate Building (NSB) project after an ethics complaint was formally filed against him.
“Eyes on the ball tayong lahat. Ang ginagawa ni Senator Nancy Binay from the start, nililito tayong lahat, eh (We need to keep our eye on the ball. What Senator Nancy Binay's doing from the start is to confuse us),” Cayetano told reporters in an interview.
Senator Maria Lourdes "Nancy" Binay filed the case on the same day against Cayetano after the latter resorted to name-calling and making baseless accusations against her during the Senate Accounts Committee’s first hearing on the NSB on July 3.
Cayateno, who chairs the committee, emphasized that while he will eventually address the complaint, his priority remains the significant issue of the rising costs of the building project.
“Ang issue ay y’ung P23 billion. Ano ba ang mas importante sa tao: ang tingin niya sa akin at ano ang tingin ko sa kanya? Or kung ano talaga ang nangyayari diyan sa building? (The issue is the P23 billion cost. What's more important to the people: what she thinks about me or what I think about her? Or what's really happening with the building?” he asked.
Cayetano criticized Binay for not conducting a thorough review of the project during her tenure as the chair of the Senate Committee on Accounts for two years while being quick to file an ethics complaint now.
“For 15 months, hindi gumalaw sa mesa mo [ang mga dokumento]. Isang taon at tatlong buwan na [ang lumipas pero] hindi ninyo kayang tingnan kung magkano ang ginagastos na para sa building?” he said.
As the current chair of the Committee, Cayetano stressed his responsibility to ensure a thorough and factual review of the project to deliver an “iconic and functional” building of high quality and justified cost.
“Kung hindi sa akin napunta edi isa lang ako sa 24 na boboto. Pero sa akin napunta [itong project] eh. Kaya ire-recommend ko talaga sa 24 na ayusin natin ang tamang pondo (If this project wasn't handed to me then I'll be just oen of 24 senators who will vote. But this [project] was given to me. That's why I will recommend to the 24 to fix the total funds),” he said.
“So ako, gusto ko ilabas yung tamang pondo. Kasi pag hindi mo inilabas 'yong tamang pondo, we will not get to the conclusion kung kailan matatapos to magkano ba to (For me, I want issue the right amount of funds. Because if we don't do it, we will not get to the conclusion as to when will this be over, and how much will this cost) ,” he added.
The senator also expressed his concerns over certain aspects of the project which he believes are overpriced. He said the funds could be better allocated to other projects such as classrooms.
When asked how he and Binay could reconcile their differences to move the project forward, Cayetano advised they should “stick to the issue” and discuss matters calmly and factually.
“She can correct it anytime and let me address this to her now:. Senator Nancy, linawin natin itong lahat [nang] mahinahon, sa tama (Senator Nancy, let's clear this out calmly and factually),” he said.
“Himayin natin ‘yang P23 billion na ‘yan o kung tingin mo P21.7 billion, himayin natin nang mahinahon tayo at sundin natin ang tamang rules at ilabas natin ang tama, then mag-desisyon tayo [kung] paano matatapos ang building at kung ano ang tamang presyo nu’ng building (Let's go over this P23 billion or if you believe it's P21.7 billion, let's go over it calmly and let's follow the rules then let's disclose what's true, after that let's decide how we will finish the building and what's the correct price of it),” he added.