Citing the need to maintain the public’s trust in the Senate as an institution, Senator Robin Padilla sought an investigation into the issues surrounding the increased costs in the construction of the New Senate Building (NSB).
Padilla filed Senate Resolution 1063 directing his Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media to handle the investigation in aid of legislation.
“Informing the public of the processes undertaken in the construction of the NSB including the increased costs, is necessary to ensure that the public does not lose its trust in the Senate as an institution,” the legislator said.
“There is a need to let the public know of the partner contractors, if any, and subcontractors of Hilmarc’s Construction Corp.”
“There is a need to let the public know of the partner contractors, if any, and subcontractors of Hilmarc’s Construction Corp.,” the lawmaker added.
The senator noted that Senate President Chiz Escudero had ordered Senator Alan Peter Cayetano as chairman of the Committee on Accounts to review the cost of the NSB, as it had reportedly increased to P23 billion from an initial P8.9 billion.
Padilla added the Committee on Accounts, in its public hearing last July 3, reported that the current total cost of the project is P23.38 billion, of which P8.9 billion is for the core and shell; P2.5 billion for the fit-out; P1.6 billion for land acquisition; and P10.33 billion for works to complete.
“Public officers and employees must at all times remain accountable to the people.”
He noted Sec. 1, Art. XI of the 1987 Constitution states that “public office is a public trust,” and public officers and employees must at all times remain “accountable to the people”.
“Being part of one of the main branches of the government, it is incumbent upon the Senate to set the example of transparency and accountability not only to the entire bureaucracy but more importantly, to the Filipino people,” Padilla concluded.
