Trillanes, Nancy Binay exchange words at Senate hearing

MANILA, Philippines - They were not the main figures at the Senate hearing on Thursday but they briefly took the spotlight.

Senators Nancy Binay and Antonio Trillanes IV exchanged some words during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee inquiry into the allegedly overpriced Iloilo Convention Center (ICC).

At the hearing, Trillanes mentioned the controversial Makati City Hall II parking building several times and compared it to the Iloilo project.

Trillanes pointed out that in the construction of the Makati building, the contractor that won the bidding for the project's first phase became the contractor for the subsequent phases.

He said this scenario raises red flags.

In the construction of the ICC, however, Trillanes said each of the phases were bid out.

It was at this point that Binay butted in.

"For the record, can I just correct Senator Trillanes. It's not the Makati parking building. It's the Makati City Building II," she said.

Trillanes then responded: "We also have a basis to say it as Makati parking building because in all the bidding documents, it is stated there as so."

"But lets not fight over the name for as long as overprice siya nang over a billion, okay tayo doon," he added.

Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, the Blue Ribbon Committee chair, then interfered and reminded the senators to stick to the ICC controversy.

Trillanes has accused Vice President Jejomar Binay and his family of profiting from various projects in Makati City, including the parking building.

He's a member of the Blue Ribbon Sub-Committee probing the allegations against Binay.

Hilmarc's Construction Corp. is the contractor of both the Makati project and the ICC.