‘SP’ defends budget for new Senate building
Sotto not eager to have SEA Games probe
SENATE President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III chided Albay representative, Joey Salceda for “linking” the P10 billion allocation for the creation of a permanent Senate building at the Bonifacio Global City to the failure to fund the establishment of the new, ‘Department for Disaster Resilience.’
In an interview with the Senate media last November 11, 2020, Sotto branded as “unfair” Salceda’s questioning of the budget allocation for a new Senate building when the proposed P1.5 billion appropriation to jumpstart the operation of the new department was rejected by lawmakers, particularly by those in the Upper Chamber.
“That is different, he (Salceda) should not make any connection.
“The Senate has been spending so much every year in rent payment since 1995,” Sotto said, referring to the period when the Senate transferred to the GSIS building in Pasay City from the old Congress building (now the National Museum) in Manila.
Sotto further explained that the creation of a new Senate building is not for the benefit of its incumbent members “but the future senators.”
“Instead of them paying rent, they would have a building of their own. This has nothing to do with the creation of a new (executive) department,” Sotto said.
In the same interview, Sotto is also lukewarm on the proposal of minority bloc member, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, for a “full blown” investigation by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee of the issues that have hounded the country’s hosting of the 30th edition of the SEA Games last year.
“Let us first wait for the answers of the officials involved before a ‘full blown investigation’ is conducted,” Sotto said.
Sotto also expressed sympathy to the privilege speech delivered by Sen. Pia Cayetano that the inquiry may end up downplaying the country’s success during the games held from November 30 to December 11, 2019 and where the Philippines again placed first place, or after 14 years since the country’s best finished in 2005, when it also played host to the regional biennial sports event.
Sen. (Pia) Cayetano is correct when she pointed out that it would appear we would be downplaying our achievements; it’s like we are downplaying the achievements of our athletes by claiming that something ‘illegal’ was committed (by those in charge of the games’ preparation).
Cayetano is the sister of former House Speaker and former senator, Alan Peter Cayetano, who is in charge of PHISGOC (Philippines SEA Games Organizing Committee).
Sotto said that while it is up to SBRC chairman, Sen. Richard Gordon, to decide on whether an investigation demanded by Hontiveros should be pursued, it would be better for the Senate to hear out first the explanation of the concerned officials.
