Senators and their staff members can literally take as many craps as they want for the rest of the year and have toilet paper to last until 2018.
According to an audit report by the Commission on Audit (COA), there is about PHP37,000 (USD 740) worth of excess toilet paper stocked in the senate halls.
State auditors’ 2016 report, released earlier this week, found that aside from the toilet paper, the Philippine senate was packing a total of PHP3 million worth (USD 60,000) in “overstocked” and “obsolete” items.
Another PHP1.68 million (USD 33,600) in non-moving supplies were also audited, including PHP898,891.23 (USD17,977) in toner cartridges , PHP167,909.78 (USD 3,358) in ribbon cartridges and PHP40,395.60 (USD 807) carbon paper, according to the report.
The COA said that under last year’s budget approved by Congress, the procurement of materials should not exceed the normal 3-month requirement of the office except during emergencies or when there is an expected increase in prices.
It said “some items have become obsolete in view of the fast emergence of new technologies and upgrades and the shift from manual to automated or paper-less system.”
According to a report in Rappler, the overstocked toilet paper is good for six months, and the insecticide spray should last for a good two years.
The same report said that on average, the senate uses on average around 1,040 rolls. Inside the Senate building, a total of 9,512 rolls were left in the stockroom during its yearend inventory.
Other overstocked items: 38,365 envelopes; 15,023 markers; and 7,606 AA-size batteries.
The auditors said the supply of batteries should last another six and a half years.
They were not happy that the budget, limited space, and expiry period of items seemed to have been overlooked in the overstocking of the Senate.
“Wastage of government assets from overstocking and obsolescence of inventories could have been prevented had procurement of supplies and materials been properly planned and periodic assessment of inventory movements been undertaken to ascertain the required quantity of items for stocking,” state auditors were quoted in Rappler.
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, told Senate reporters that he would investigate the overstocking of toilet paper and other items. “Will look into that ASAP. We should not waste money and resources. Will get more details first,” Pimentel said. “Also I will find out who made the decisions which allowed this overstocking.”
Well, if we’re ever stuck in traffic near the senate, and in dire need of a toilet, we know where to run!
with reports from ABS-CBN News
