Probe into Senate building set on July 3; DPWH told to submit documents

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate panel on accounts, now headed by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, will probe issues hounding the New Senate Building (NSB) in Taguig on July 3.

Cayetano confirmed this in a statement on Friday, further detailing that the Department of Public Works and Highways has been defying their requests for the submission of all documents related to the construction.

“We have reached out numerous times to the DPWH since June 14, 2024, for the submission of all project-related documents but all our communication has fallen on deaf ears. Consequently, we have formally requested Secretary Manuel Bonoan for these documents to be submitted no later than Monday, July 1, 2024,” said Ceyateno.

In a separate statement also issued Friday, the senator said the deadline for submission follows a timeline that would allow committee members adequate time to review the materials thoroughly ahead of the Wednesday hearing.

Meanwhile, Cayetano said the main objective of the hearing is to “eliminate delays that could result in unnecessary costs or complicate cost-related matters” of the NSB.

Senate President Chiz Escudero earlier ordered the review of the supposedly ballooning costs of the NSB.

This was after Cayetano informed him about an apparent “dramatic increase” in the building’s construction cost from an initial budget of P8 billion to a projected P23.3 billion.

READ: Escudero wants P23-billion new Senate building reviewed: Parang OA

Cayetano, however, explained that the construction of the NSB may still continue despite the Senate panel on accounts’ review of the building’s cost.

“So let me clarify this part kasi napanood ko rin ‘yung news kagabi na may taga-DPWH na nagsasabi nga na wala pang order na itigil. Yung sinasabi po sa news na phase 1 and phase 2 ito po yung na-bid up, ito po ay ongoing, pwede naman po tuloy yung construction dyan na nire-review namin, wala pong conflict yun,” said Cayetano last June 12.

(So let me clarify this part because I also watched the news last night where someone from DPWH said that there is no order to stop the construction yet. What is being said in the news is that phase 1 and phase 2 are the ones that have been bid up; this is ongoing. The construction can continue there which we are reviewing; there is no conflict.)

“So we’re just looking at the documentation, we’re looking at yung mga why and what, pero tuloy-tuloy po ‘yan para walang delay,” he emphasized.

(So we’re just looking at the documentation, we’re looking at the whys and whats, but that’s continuous, so there’s no delay.)

Phases 1 and 2 cover the Core and Shell as well as the fit-out of the building. Cayetano said the committee on accounts would review the additional P10 billion needed that has yet to be procured.