Senator Maria Lourdes Nancy Binay on Monday, July 8 formally filed an ethics complaint against Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano saying the latter resorted to name-calling and making baseless accusations against her and some personalities.
Binay filed the complaint against Cayetano at the office of Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino, who chairs the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges.
Binay’s complaint stemmed from Cayetano’s insulting remarks against her during the hearing of the Senate Committee on Accounts last week where Cayetano held an initial review of the cost of the new Senate building situated in the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.
In that hearing, Cayetano was heard calling her “Marites”—a derogatory term for a female rumor-monger—and even insinuated that she is crazy telling her “Nabuang ka na, ‘day?”
In her complaint, Binay urged Tolentino to hold Cayetano “accountable and liable for all of his unparliamentary conduct which are in violation of the Rules of the Senate, the Revised Penal Code, the Civil Code and Employees, and Civil Service regulations.
“…And corollary to this, that the appropriate sanctions and penalties be imposed upon him, commensurate to the gravity of his offenses,” Binay stressed in the 15-paged document.
“(The) respondent’s act of uttering defamatory words against me as well as his intimidating and deceptive behavior towards the officials and employees of the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) when he was presiding over the public hearing constitute conduct unbecoming of a public officer and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service,” Binay said.
“He failed to respect the rights of others as well as to act with justness and sincerity,” she said.
The senator further said Cayetano’s acts “are contrary to law, good morals, good customs, public policy and public interest.”
“(His) improper and offensive conduct is a serious assault upon the dignity and prestige of the Senate. Such acts expose the Senate to contempt and disrepute. Thus, respondent must be held liable for both offenses,” she stressed.
“The public's impression of its government is sketched by its experiences with the behavior of their acquaintances who are public officers when these officers are part of one's social circles and communities. Between them and the public officers they read about in the newspaper and encounter in other media, the former's presence is more immediate and more concrete, and this impression is more salient in their daily lives,” she reiterated.
“Only those who can live to the Constitutional exhortation that public office is a public trust deserve the honor of continuing in public service,” Binay stressed.
In a press conference later, Binay explained she doesn’t want a repeat of the incident in 2015 where Cayetano’s bullying affected her and her family, especially her children.
“Noon pinalipas ko na lang, pinalampas ko lang (Before I just let it pass). But this time around hindi na ako papayag ulit na gawin niya yung paninira na ginawa niya (I won’t allow him to slander me again),” Binay told reporters in the interview.
“I’m a mother, magulang ako (I’m a parent). Kailangan kong protektahan din yung mga anak ko na ayoko na pag bumalik sila sa eskwelahan may magsasabi sa kanila na yung nanay mo pala sira ulo dahil tinawag ni Sen. Cayetano na buang (I also need to protect my children because I don't want them to go to school hearing from another people that your mother is crazy because Sen. Cayetano called her so),” she lamented.
“So this is just not about me as a senator this is also about me as a mother. Kasi alam ko yung pinagdaanan ng mga bata, nung mga anak ko ng mga pamangkin ko nung panahon na yun. . di ako papayag na maulit muli yung ganung pinagdaanan nila (Because I know what my children and nieces and nephews experiences during that time. I won’t allow them to go through that experience again),” she pointed out.
“Kasi ang hirap ma explain kung di mo pa nararamdaman maging isang magulang. Di ba parang if you are a parent, mas masakit pag yung anak yung nasasaktan. Eh ganun yung nangyari sa amin nuong mga panahon na yun. So this time around, di na talaga ako papayag na mangyari pa siya ulit (It’s hard to explain if you haven’t experienced being a mother. Because if you are a parent, it’s more painful if the children are the one hurting. And that was exactly what we went through in the past. So this time around, I won’t let it happen again),” the lawmaker stressed.