Sotto: Transfer to new Senate building possible by mid-2027

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Friday said the relocation to the new Senate building in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City could be done by mid-next year.

Sotto said that Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson, chairman of the Senate Committee on Accounts, gave the assurance for such.

“Ang sabi ni Senator Lacson, towards the middle or third quarter of 2027, tapos. Lilipat kami,” Sotto said in a Zoom interview.

(Senator Lacson said that the building will be finished towards the middle or third quarter of 2027. We will transfer by then.)

The Senate Committee on Accounts is responsible for all matters relating to the auditing and adjustment of all accounts chargeable against the funds for the expenses and activities of the Senate.

Under the supervision of Lacson, Sotto said the cost for the construction of the new Senate building will be lower.

“Una kasi sabi nila magiging P23 billion raw nung panahon ni Senator [Nancy] Binay. ‘Di raw kaya ‘yun, ‘di raw dapat gawin ‘yun. Pero pagdating nung si Senator [Alan] Cayetano na ang Accounts P31 billion naman ang projection,” Sotto said.

(First of all, they said it would be P23 billion during the time of Senator Binay. They said it was not possible and could not be done. But when Senator Cayetano became the chairman of the Committee on Accounts, the projection was at P31 billion.)

“Eh ngayon, si Senator Lacson na ulit ang may hawak, eh. Hindi, bababa ‘yan. Ang daming tinanggal, maraming hindi pupuwede. Bababa ‘yan,” he added.

(Now, Senator Lacson is in charge again. The cost will go down. Many (items) were removed, we did not allow a lot of things. That cost will decrease.)

To recall, Lacson previously welcomed the plan to review the construction of the new Senate building in Taguig City amid concerns over its escalating costs.

The new building, envisioned as a permanent, modern headquarters for the Senate, was originally scheduled for completion in 2021. Construction delays, coupled with budget scrutiny and shifting leadership priorities, has posed a challenge to its completion.

Currently, the Senate occupies rented space at the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) complex in Pasay City, which lawmakers have described as outdated and no longer conducive to efficient operations. — BAP, GMA Integrated News