Binay walks out of Cayetano probe

Sen. Nancy Binay walked out on the public hearing on the new Senate building’s cost of construction called by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano after a heated exchange between the two senators.

- MARC JAYSON CAYABYAB

The back and forth between the two political scions yesterday reinforced views that their turf war over Makati and Taguig cities has spilled over to the accounts committee review of the New Senate Building.

Cayetano took over the accounts committee from Binay after the Senate leadership shake-up when Francis Escudero mustered enough votes to oust Juan Miguel Zubiri as Senate president.

Binay resigned as accounts committee chair after she sided with Zubiri in the leadership change and became part of the Solid 7 bloc that is independent from the majority.

During the hearing, Cayetano grilled Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials for what he deemed as their failure to keep costs low in the construction Phases 1 and 2 of the new Senate building.

He insisted that the DPWH erred in saying in media interviews that the total P23-billion price tag he and Escudero came up with was wrong.

DPWH Undersecretary Emil Sadain was forced to apologize for an interview he made on GMA News correcting the P23-billion price tag.