By: Ben R. Rosario
State auditors have chided the Senate for wasting public funds with a glut of toilet papers, insecticide spray, and other office supplies not actually necessary in passing legislation.
In the 2016 annual audit report for the Senate that was released this month, the Commission on Audit listed 73 items found in the legislative chamber’s stock rooms, saying that the supplies purchased were in excess of what the Senate actually needed for a period of time.
Among the overload of supplies identified were rolls of toilet paper that may last for over six months and a two-year buffer stock of insecticide spray.
It was not immediately known whose administration is to be blamed for the overstocking of supplies.
Former Senate President Franklin Drilon and incumbent Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III shared the Senate leadership in 2016, with both serving six months each.
CoA inspectors said there is an ideal volume for storage of common use items due to limited space, budget, and expiry period – three months – and this applies to most things from legal-sized paper and printer toners to paper clips and toilet paper.
As revealed by the audit report, the Senate had 8,184 rolls of toilet tissue at the start of 2016. The CoA said 12,672 more were purchased during the year, bringing to total to 20,856 rolls.
The supply inventory noted that there were still 9,512 rolls of toilet paper in the stockroom which they deemed a bit over the top, considering average monthly usage is only around 1,040 rolls or 3,120 per quarter – the target resupply time.