Senator Nancy Binay can't help but walk out during a Senate hearing led by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on the review of the new Senate building on Wednesday, July 3.
During the Senate Accounts Committee's hearing into the construction of the new Senate building in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, the two senators argued whether the total cost of the construction reached P23 billion, including the cost of land acquisition.
Citing Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) records, Binay asserted that the new Senate building's overall cost was just P21.73 billion, not P23 billion as Cayetano had indicated in a June 6 letter to Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero.
Cayetano refused and said that the computation should include the P1.6 billion land acquisition cost.
"Kapag bumili ka ng bahay, tatanungin mo ung broker, magkano all in, kasama taxes," said Cayetano.
Binay immediately pointed out Cayetano's example and said, "Pero pag magpapagawa ka ng bahay hindi mo isasama cost ng refrigerator at TV as cost of building."
The discussion of the panel's current and former chairpersons led to personal attacks when Cayetano accused Binay of feeding reporters with pre-planned questions concerning Makati and Taguig disputes.
Binay denied the accusation by saying, "Bakit ako magbibigay ng questions sa media? Baka gawain mo ang magbigay ng tanong sa media?"
Cayetano also asserted that Binay is making the review "messy."
"Ma'am ang pangalan mo Lourdes, hindi Marites," said Cayetano.
"Ang problema hindi ka nakikinig," he furthered.
Binay rebutted and said, "Ikaw nga hindi marunong magbasa, P21B naging P23B?"
Binay proceeded with her argument and asked DPWH Undersecretary Emil Sadain whether there was a P23 billion amount in their records for the NSB construction. Sudain said there were none.
"Thank you, Usec. Sadain. There is none because 21 [billion pesos] is not 23 [billion pesos]. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, there's no such thing as P23 billion [allocation] at DPWH [for the Senate building construction]," Binay said, and then she walked out.
Cayetano got offended and said, "Nabuwang ka 'day? (Inday)? Tapusin nating ng maayos, Senado ito ng Pilipinas. Hindi ito palengke."
The Senate inquiry came after Escudero ordered the Senate to conduct a "comprehensive review" of the mounting expenses of the project.
Cayetano informed Escudero, who took the post as Senate President barely a month ago.
Previously, DPWH engineer Soledad Florencio insisted that Hilmarc's Construction Corporation was given the contract for the building and that there was nothing unusual about its construction, noting that the delays were due to variation orders.
Hilmarc's Construction Corporation is the same company that built the extortionate Makati City Hall Building in 2014.
The Commission on Audit claimed that the building showed indications of irregularities, including hurried completion, little difference between bids and the approved budget, and the absence of other bidders.
