Binay: Alan Cayetano hasn't spoken to me on new Senate building issue

Senator Nancy Binay said on Tuesday that Senator Alan Peter Cayetano wouldn’t have a difficult time looking for the documents he needs on the new Senate building in Taguig City if only he would talk to her.

Binay said Cayetano has yet to speak with her after he replaced her as the new chairperson of the Senate Committee on Accounts.

“Technically, if there was a proper turnover, yung mga hinahanap niyang dokumento nandun lang ‘yun sa Senate building. As chairperson of the Committee on Accounts, he already has access to those documents na hinihingi niya,” she said in a press briefing. “But ayun na nga, hindi niya ako tinanong, nag-aantay din ako, kasi yung ibang data nasa cloud.”

(Technically, if there was a proper turnover, all the documents are just in the Senate building. As a chairperson of the Committee on Accounts, he already has access to those documents that he was requesting. But he never asked me, I was waiting for him because the other data is uploaded in the cloud.)

“On my end, kailangan ko din malaman sino ba yung bibigyan namin ng access to the cloud or dokyumento. So far, wala pang ganung transition and turnover kasi babalik tayo dun sa hindi pa niya ako kinakausap.”

(On my end, I also need to know who should be given access to the cloud or documents. So far, there was no such transition and turnover because he has not yet spoken to me.)

According to Senate President Francis Escudero, Cayetano called for a public inquiry on the new Senate building on July 3 because the Department of Public Works and Highways was “not cooperative.”

But Cayetano on Monday thanked the DPWH for submitting to him the documents he needed. 

When asked if the dispute between Makati City and Taguig City has something to do with the lack of communication between her and Cayetano, Binay said: “Alam mo nung umpisa ayaw kong isipin na may ganung anggulo eh, pero habang tumatagal, parang bumabalik tayo sa Taguig-Makati issue. Lalong lalo na parang alam naman na iniisip natin na tumakbong lokal.”

(I didn’t want to think about that angle first, but I now realized that it seemed we are going back to the Taguig-Makati issue. Especially now that I’m planning to run in the local government.)

“Dapat paghandaan ko na hindi dapat maulit yung ganitong sistema na nagagamit ‘yung Senado for personal ambition or vendetta,” she added.

(I should be prepared that this kind of system should not be repeated, where the Senate is used for personal ambition or vendetta.)

Binay earlier said the upper chamber can no longer afford delays in the construction of its new edifice as this might entail additional costs, following Escudero’s order to suspend and review the construction of the P23 billion facility.

While she did not name anyone, Binay said that a fellow colleague has been sowing intrigue about her and the new structure.

“Masakit, patalikod niya kaming sinasaksak...Basta may nag-iikot, kung ano-ano yung sinasabi,” she said.

(It hurts because that person is stabbing us behind our backs… I can only say someone is going around spreading lies.)—RF, GMA Integrated News