Cayetano open to conciliation with Binay, insists to continue NSB review

Sen. Nancy Binay —SENATE PRIB / Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano —INQUIRER / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines – Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said he is willing to subject himself to a conciliation meeting with Sen. Nancy Binay and the chamber’s panel on ethics but he emphasized that the review of the New Senate Building (NSB) must continue.

Speaking to reporters in a press conference on Thursday, Cayetano said it’s a “good idea” to conduct a conciliation meeting between him and Binay in order to settle their disagreements. He, however, claimed that he discovered more controversies hounding the Senate’s new home.

“Just this week I found out maraming tinatago sa atin. Sino nagtatago? Bakit tinatago? I haven’t gotten to that. But I’ve finally received the caches, halos a half room full of documents were going through it. And ano eh, people are either just 25 to 27, that could even be a little bit conservative pala,” said Cayetano.

(Just this week I found out a lot is being hidden from us. Who is hiding this? Why is it hidden? I haven’t gotten to that. But I’ve finally received the caches, almost a half room full of documents were going through it. And what, people are either just 25 to 27, that could even be a little bit conservative.)

He then proceeded to appeal to Binay and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to tell the whole truth.

“Eto review lang to eh. So hindi ko alam bakit you know, ganyan ang nagiging reaksyon ng marami, either frozen or nagkakalat ng gossip tungkol sa amin or politically may attacks when what we’re doing is the review. So if they came forward and gave us everything, we would have decisions by now,” he said.

(This is just a review. So I don’t know why, you know, that’s how many people react, either frozen or spreading gossip about us or politically there are attacks when what we’re doing is the review. So if they came forward and gave us everything, we would have decisions by now.)

According to Cayetano, he consulted Senate President Chiz Escudero about the matter, noting that the leadership wants to make technical decisions on NSB all within the month of August to avoid further delays.

Cayetano, who was repeatedly asked if he is not closing his doors to have a conciliation meeting with Binay, said “for as long as it does not affect the results of the review.”

“Ibig sabihin secondary yung relationship namin, secondary yung if I can use the word tampuhan. As I said I’m not perfect. I apologize to the public na nireport nyo naman kasi hindi dapat ganun talaga mangyari.But because of that, God works in mysterious ways, maraming lumabas at marami kaming nakita ngayon,”he said.

(It means that our relationship is secondary, secondary if I can use the word tampuhan. As I said, I’m not perfect. I apologized to the public and you reported it because it shouldn’t have happened like that. But because of that, God works in mysterious ways, many revelations came out and we discovered a lot.)

To recall, Binay filed an ethics complaint against Cayetano for allegedly resorting to name-calling and behaving disorderly during the chamber’s proceedings.

In a 15-page complaint, Binay specifically noted that Cayetano committed the crime of slander against her.

The charge was submitted days after the two senators exchanged barbs during the Senate panel on accounts’ hearing on the supposedly ballooning cost of NSB in Taguig.

READ: Nancy Binay files ethics rap vs Alan Cayetano: ‘I can’t let it pass anymore’

During the July 3 hearing, panel head Cayetano insisted that the building’s cost would total a whopping P23 billion.

Binay, on the other hand, cited the DPWH’s data, pointing out that the establishment only costs around P21 billion.