Binay vs. Cayetano again? Nancy Binay walks out during hearing on new Senate building
A tense exchange between Senators Nancy Binay and Alan Peter Cayetano erupted during a hearing intended to discuss the new Senate building's total cost, prompting the former to walk out.
Following Senate President Chiz Escudero's order of a “comprehensive review" of the new office in Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City—which would cost P23.3 billion to complete—Cayetano launched a probe on July 3, Wednesday to discuss the matter.
Citing Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) documents, Binay, who is the former accounts committee chair, said it was P21.7 billion. However, Cayetano said that the computation should include the land acquisition cost which is an additional P1.6 billion.
But Binay said it shouldn't be that way. "Pero pag magpapagawa ka ng bahay hindi mo isasama cost ng refrigerator at TV as cost of building."
Getting a little personal
The heated arguments went on for 20 minutes, with Cayetano insisting Binay was interrupting the hearing.
“You’ve been going around saying na mali ‘yung number namin. Kung mali, correct it, pero ang nagbigay ng number sa amin staff mo. So anong problema? Ginugulo mo ‘yung hearing eh. Kung sasabihin mo mali, ano ang tamang number?” Cayetano asked Binay.
“Ang problema sa ‘yo, you keep going around and saying ‘gusto ko makausap si Alan, gusto ko makausap si Chiz.’ Nagkita pa tayo sa party hindi mo naman kami kinakausap tapos ngayon manggugulo ka sa hearing,” Cayatano told Binay.
Cayetano suggested that Binay may have led the media to ask questions in her favor.
“Ano bang intention mo na guguluhin mo ang hearing natin? It’s P23 billion total. Ang dami mo nang inimbento sa media, imbento ka naka-10 interview ka, baka ito naman ‘yung Makati-Taguig. Eh hindi mo man lang iniba question sa radyo. Lahat pare pareho question, eksakto pa eh, eh di halatang ikaw nagbigay ng question,” Cayetano said.
She responded, “Bakit naman ako magbibigay ng question sa media? Baka gawain ‘nyo yung nagbibigay ng tanong. Excuse me!”
Before ending the discussion, Binay directly asked Public Works Undersecretary Emil Sadain if they had any documents mentioning P23 billion for the new building's construction.
“There is none,” Sadain said.
“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I made my point. There’s no such thing as P23 billion in DPWH. Thank you, Mr. Chair,” Binay said before walking out of the room.
Binay vs. Cayetano
Binay claimed during a press conference last July 2 that the rivalry between Makati and Taguig—the political bailiwicks of the Binays and Cayetanos, respectively—may be playing a role behind the scenes in the Senate building controversy.
Cayetano in 2015 led a Senate investigation into a Makati parking building, an initiative her father, former Vice President Jejomar Binay, spearheaded during his tenure as Mayor of Makati.
"The characters noong 2015, same ingredients, same senator. May building, may hearings… tingnan natin kung paabutin niya ba ito ng 27 hearings para ma-break yung record na ginawa niya noong 2015 sa pamilya ko," she said.
Binay also accused a colleague of "backstabbing" her.