Senators’ verbal tussle ‘painful to watch,’ says Lacson

Panfilo “Ping” Lacson. INQUIRER file photo

Former Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Friday expressed regret over the testy exchange between Senators Nancy Binay and Alan Peter Cayetano during the public hearing on the new Senate building project in Taguig City.

Although Senate President Francis Escudero’s decision to review the project was “a correct call,” Lacson said the verbal tussle involving the two senators during Wednesday’s hearing of the Senate committee on accounts was “painful to watch, to say the least.”

Lacson chaired the Senate accounts committee that approved the project in 2017.

Binay took over the supervision of the project in 2022 before she was replaced by Cayetano after the Escudero-led coup ushered in a new Senate leadership on May 20.

READ: Heated debate, walkout mar inquiry into new Senate building 

“While a century-old dream for the Philippine Senate to finally have its own home, one that is iconic, secure, functional, and green, is about to come to fruition, it is sad that it is now perceived, rightly or wrongly, as another symbol of government abuse of public funds,” Lacson said in a statement.

According to him, Escudero met with him and former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III a few days after he was sworn in as the new Senate leader.

Escudero, he said, informed them that he wanted to look into the reasons why the cost of the structure being built in Taguig City allegedly ballooned to P23.3 billion from the original budget of P8.9 billion.

READ: Separate panel probe into cost of new Senate building sought 

Lacson said he then tried to meet with Cayetano and Binay to ensure a “smooth transition and transfer of responsibility” like what he did when Binay succeeded him.

He said he also wanted to discuss with the pair “some possible issues” regarding the project.

“My offer to mediate was actually a request from [Binay] after she visited me in my office with my two former staff who now work in her office. [Cayetano] actually agreed to both although the meeting has yet to be scheduled,” Lacson said.

“(W)hile it was ultimately his decision to retain or terminate the Senate Coordination Team, it would be better if they briefed him first and get a lowdown on the status and other details of the ongoing construction,” he added.

The heated exchange between Binay and Cayetano, who presided over the hearing, erupted after she tried to ask officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways about Escudero’s claim that the building’s price tag had gone up to P23.3 billion.

Cayetano immediately confronted Binay, accusing her of “going around saying my numbers are incorrect.”