Push Admin

'Unfair to her': Pimentel defends Binay on Senate building issue

Article (news)

Sherrie Ann Torres

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/171999066826720230621-senate-cebu-pacific-complaints-MD.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false" style="text-align:left">Sen. Nancy Binay during a Senate hearing on June 21, 2023. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Sen. Nancy Binay has found an ally on the Senate building issue in Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III.</p><p>Pimentel said that negative insinuations on how Binay handled the Senate building project as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Accounts were &quot;unfair.&quot;  </p><p>“I hope na itong isyu na ito hindi nahahaluan ng pulitika. Because it’s unfair to the former chairperson of the Committee on Accounts. Walang compensation &#x27;yun ha? Wala namang bayad to be chair of the committee on accounts. Additional responsibility lang &#x27;yan eh. Tapos mai-intriga ka pa, that is unfair to her,&quot; Pimentel said Wednesday at the sidelines of the “Kapihan sa Manila Hotel” news forum. </p><p>(I hope that this issue will not be mixed with politics. Because the post of the Senate Committee on Accounts is only an additional responsibility with no compensation. And despite that, you will still be intrigued. That’s unfair to her.)</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/6/10/cost-of-new-senate-building-nearly-tripled-shocked-escudero-orders-review-1157" id="isPasted">READ: Cost of new Senate building nearly tripled; &#x27;shocked&#x27; Escudero orders review</a><br/><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/6/13/luxury-tiles-listed-as-materials-for-new-senate-building-contract-1957" id="isPasted">READ: &#x27;Luxury tiles&#x27; listed as materials for new Senate building: contract</a></div><p>What boggles their mind, according to Pimentel, is the &quot;P23 billion&quot; budget for the new Senate building that Senate President Chiz Escudero has been quoting for the project.<br/><br/>&quot;Kaya nya sinasabi na P23 billion kasi may plus P10 billion doon eh, na wala pa naman talaga. So, it’s actually now P13 billion... ipaliwanag sana sa amin bakit ang ginagamit ni Senator Escudero ay P23 billion. Bakit?... ang dapat na ginagamit dyan ay P13 billion,&quot; Pimentel said.</p><p>(He [Escudero] was saying it’s P23 billion because there’s an additional P10 billion, which is not really there. So, it’s actually P13  billion. I hope that Senator Escudero will explain why he is using P23 billion when what he should use is P13 billion.)</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/6/28/senate-to-conduct-hearing-on-new-senate-building-issues-1526" id="isPasted">READ: Senate to conduct hearing on new Senate building issues</a><br/><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/7/1/escudero-no-allegation-of-irregularity-on-new-senate-building-2139" id="isPasted">READ: Escudero: No allegation of irregularity on new Senate building</a></div><p>According to Pimentel, the figure went up from the initial P9 billion and such an increase must also be explained to senators and the public.</p><p>&quot;Pero iwasan natin &#x27;yung masyadong intriguing amounts. Wala pa naman eh. &#x27;Yung P10 billion na &#x27;yun I think if ever hindi pa committed &#x27;yun eh. At pwede ngang hindi pa gastusin &#x27;yun eh. At wala pang nagsasabing committed na kaming gastusin &#x27;yun,&quot; Pimentel said.</p><p>(<span></span><span>But let&#x27;s avoid overly intriguing amounts. There&#x27;s nothing yet. That P10 billion, I think if ever, hasn&#x27;t been committed yet. And it might not even be spent. And no one has said that we&#x27;re committed to spending it.)</span></p><p>The initial estimate to construct the building, according to Pimentel, was actually P9 billion.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/7/2/binay-calls-out-backstabbing-senator-politicizing-new-senate-building-1737" id="isPasted">READ: Binay calls out &#x27;backstabbing&#x27; senator &#x27;politicizing&#x27; new Senate building</a></div><p>Pimentel meanwhile urged the new Senate leadership to present to the minority bloc all the documents that supposedly underline &quot;ballooned&quot; construction of the new Senate building.</p><p>&quot;Kasi I’m sure makakapal na dokumento yan eh, dapat ma-summarize nila sa amin ano yung nilalaman ng mga dokumentong yun,&quot; Pimentel said. </p><p>(I’m sure the document is thick so they should summarize the contents of those documents.)</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>WATCH:</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/cRsuncuBvD0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Pimentel said that negative insinuations on how Binay handled the Senate building project as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Accounts is "unfair."</p>

Pimentel said that negative insinuations on how Binay handled the Senate building project as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Accounts is "unfair."