Senate feud: Nancy files ethics complaint vs Alan Peter

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Nancy Binay filed yesterday an ethics complaint against colleague Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano for various offenses, including describing her as “buang” or crazy and accusing her of disrupting a Senate public hearing.

In a 25-page complaint, Binay said Cayetano violated the Senate rules that prohibit senators from making unparliamentary remarks against fellow legislators. As chair of the Senate committee on accounts, Cayetano presided over the July 3 hearing on the review of the construction of the new Senate building.

Binay said Cayetano violated laws such as the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for public officials and employees, Civil Code of the Philippines and the Magna Carta of Women.

“Sen. Cayetano is also a lawyer who has a standard to follow. It was not only the standard of the senators, but the standard of lawyers that he violated during the hearing. No. 1, the name calling when he said, your name is Lourdes, not Marites,” Binay said.

“Marites” is a slang often used to refer to a person, typically a woman, who is excessively talkative, chatty or gossipy. It is derived from the expression “Mare, anong latest?” and has taken on a humorous and light-hearted meaning in colloquial language.

“The second was calling (me) buang but… the most serious is the accusation of giving a copy of the set of questions in 10 radio interviews,” Binay added.

Cayetano called for a Senate hearing to review the new Senate building construction after Senate President Francis Escudero ordered the suspension of the construction work in Taguig City due to an aggregate cost of P23 billion, which he described as “shocking and in bad taste.”

The project is being implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) with Hilmarc’s Construction as private contractor.

Binay said she checked the transcripts, which revealed Cayetano did not give DPWH officials the chance to respond to his questions. “He repeatedly said that this is about a review. Why are the resource persons not given a chance to explain?”

An emotional Binay said she just wanted to protect her children and her family, noting that she did not want a repeat of what happened in 2015 when her family was “persecuted” during a Senate investigation of her father, former vice president Jejomar Binay, and her brother, former Makati mayor Junjun Binay, over the alleged overpriced Makati city hall parking building also with Hilmarc’s as contractor.

The two Binays are facing graft cases before the Sandiganbayan.

“I know what my children and nieces and nephews went through at that time. I won’t allow it to happen again, it’s hard to explain if you have not been a parent,” Binay said.

Binay diverting issue – Cayetano

Cayetano, in a chance interview with Senate reporters, said Binay is merely diverting the issue from the ballooning cost of the project.

“How much really is the new Senate building? Should we really spend P23 billion? We started this review (but) we are not saying there’s anything, we are not saying that there is any irregularity. Simply P23 billion, including the land, is too expensive. What did Senator Binay do? She started going around, making noises, spreading rumors, including the official rumors that were spreading that our number was wrong,” Cayetano said.

He added that filing an ethics complaint against Binay for her unethical behavior during the July 3 hearing is also an option for him.

“I can also file an ethics case against her because what she did was also unethical. You cannot be part of the hearing if you are not a member and you will suddenly interfere in the hearing. The chairman was speaking but you want to speak first and then you’d walk out in that manner,” he added.

Cayetano said he is also open to talking to Binay in a calm manner.

“If she wants a calm conversation, Sen. Nancy, you are welcome. If she wants 25 to 40 minutes, I will give it to her. But let’s follow the rules and order. But you will disturb the hearing? I won’t take it sitting down.”