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Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Nancy Binay argue during the Senate hearing in Pasay City on July 3, 2024 on the review of the new Senate Building Project in Taguig City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

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Hearing on New Senate Building

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

<div><span dir="ltr" id="isPasted"></span></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/172060821184420240703-senate-building-cayetano-binay-MD-10.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Nancy Binay argue during the Senate hearing in Pasay City on July 3, 2024 on the review of the new Senate Building Project in Taguig City. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Nancy Binay argue during the Senate hearing in Pasay City on July 3, 2024 on the review of the new Senate Building Project in Taguig City. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA (<strong>UPDATED</strong>) -- Senate Accounts Committee Chair Alan Peter Cayetano says that the root of his disagreement with Senator Nancy Binay over the cost of the new Senate building project would be mooted as the cost of the project could balloon to over P28 billion. </p><p>With Binay skipping the hearing of the committee on Wednesday, a more relaxed Cayetano proceeded to tackle the nuts and bolts of the projects cost with the representatives of the Department of Public Works and Highways representatives. </p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/6/10/cost-of-new-senate-building-nearly-tripled-shocked-escudero-orders-review-1157" id="isPasted">Cost of new Senate building nearly tripled; Escudero orders review </a> </div><p>During the hearing, Cayetano conceded that the root of his disagreement with Binay last week -- the cost of the project -- maybe mooted because the project cost would have ballooned because of inflation. Cayetano originally said that the cost would already be at P23 billion, while Binay maintained that the cost -- excluding land acquisition -- would just be at P21.7 billion.</p><p>&quot;Ang pinagtalunan lang namin ni Sen. Nancy, yung cost, total project cost mahigit na P23 billion total construction cost, P21.7 (billion) so pareho kaming tama pero dahil ganun yung pag argue namin pareho kaming may tama.&quot; Cayetano said, &quot;I realized luma na yung presyo na yun so balewala din pala yung pinagtatalunan namin kasi lampas na ng P23 billion &#x27;yung total project cost ngayon,&quot; he said. </p><p>&quot;So para kaming talagang mga may tama nag aargue P21.7 or P23 may estimate din kasi but I want to hear your estimate muna.&quot; </p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/7/10/binay-open-to-talk-with-cayetano-on-senate-building-issue-1155" id="isPasted">Binay open to talk with Cayetano on Senate building issue </a> </div><p>Engineer Soledad Florencio, the project director of the DPWH&#x27;s Buildings and Special Projects Management Cluster-UPMO explained that their original submissions were pegged on the costs as of 2021. </p><p>&quot;Aaminin po namin na &#x27;yun po ay &#x27;di po updated, so sa inyo po sa term niyo po, pwede po nating iu-update pa natin yun,&quot; Florencio said. </p><p>Antonio Molano, former Undersecretary for the Convergence Project of the DPWH, explained that with the cost of land and adjustments to inflation, the total project cost could go up to P25 billion to P27 billion. </p><p>&quot;Aabutin po ng P25-27 including the cost of land plus the inflationary cost po kasama po,&quot; Molano added. </p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/7/8/binay-files-ethics-complaint-vs-cayetano-after-feud-on-new-senate-home-1052" id="isPasted">Binay files ethics complaint vs Cayetano after feud on new Senate home </a> </div><p>Cayetano, however, pointed out that they are still reviewing the design so they could end up with a higher figure. </p><p>&quot;Ang problema may pending tayo na revision sa design so pwede pang tumaas ng P25 billion to P27 billion  at wala pang inflation &#x27;yan so 7.359 yung sa DPWH inaplayan lang natin 20% pero tingin ko about 30, 35%,&quot; Cayetano said, &quot;Kung wala tayong babaguhin baka 26-29B dito sa baba hindi pa namin chinecheck yung mga presyo,&quot; he said.</p><p>Engineer Mariam Shaira Banasan, of the New Senate Building Operations of the BSPMC-UPMO explained that the total cost for the exterior components -- which includes the building façade, the lighting fixtures and aluminum windows, catwalk, corrugated metal roofing, cement luster finish, painting, varnishing and other related works, aluminum cladding, metal structures and railings -- is estimated at P3.147 billion. </p><p>Cayetano had opened the hearing with an apology for his heated exchanges in the previous hearing.</p><p>While he did not make any direct references to the ethics complaint filed by Binay over his utterances in the hearing last week, Cayetano maintained he will deal with that issue later on.</p><p>&quot;Gusto ko rin humingi ng paumanuin lalo sa mga nanunuood na alam niyo pag mataas yung mga emosyon, talagang minsan nagkakasagutan we&#x27;ll deal with that issue later on we just  all have to remind ourselves that eyes on the ball,&quot; Cayetano said as he maintained that the goal of the hearing is to make sure the project is finished well and with due regard to efficient use of funds.</p><p>On Monday, Binay slapped Cayetano with the complaint for calling her a crazy woman and accusing her of sowing chaos during the previous hearing. </p><p>Earlier Wednesday, Binay said she was open to talking to Cayetano to resolve their differences.</p><p>The short hearing, which lasted a little over two hours only, ended with Cayetano asking the DPWH to submit the total project costing based on 2024 costs as he believed that the cost could balloon to as high as P28 billion. </p><p>&quot;Get me those costs kung papayag kayo three assignment lets wrap but may three tayong assignment. One, get the cost as is exactly the same na prinopropose niyo kay Sen. Nancy or sinabi niya sa inyo na gawin niyo but at present day cost,&quot; Cayetano said.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mkX8CEHGynI?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>Senate Accounts Committee Chair Alan Peter Cayetano says that the root of his disagreement with Senator Nancy Binay over the cost of the new Senate building project would be mooted as the cost of the project could balloon to over P28 billion.</p>

Senate Accounts Committee Chair Alan Peter Cayetano says that the root of his disagreement with Senator Nancy Binay over the cost of the new Senate building project would be mooted as the cost of the project could balloon to over P28 billion.

Cayetano: New Senate building to get more expensive

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Cayetano: New Senate building to get more expensive

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 10, 2024 06:47 PM PHT

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Updated Jul 10, 2024 09:07 PM PHT

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Alan peter Cayetano

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