MANILA, Philippines -- At least two lawmakers are seeking an immediate scrutiny of the expenses incurred during the recent trip of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her entourage in the United States.

Bayan Muna partylist Representative Teodoro Casino and Bukidnon Representative Teofisto Guingona III asked the Commission on Audit (COA) to conduct a special audit to determine if public funds were irregularly used and if laws were violated amid reports of the two lavish dinners of the President and other officials in restaurants in New York and Washington D.C.

The dinner at Le Cirque in New York City reportedly amounted to close to $20,000, while the meals at the Bobby Van?s steakhouse in Washington reached to about $15,000.

The reports, which were published in US newspapers, have sparked outrage from various sectors.

Casino on Friday delivered a letter to COA chairman Reynaldo Villar, requesting for the creation of a special audit team to investigate how government funds were utilized during the US trip from July 29 to August 3.

?Our sole purpose is to find out the whole truth about the controversies surrounding her trip,? said Casino in his letter, noting that he found the meal expenditures as ?irregular, unnecessary, excessive, extravagant or unconscionable even if the bills were footed by a private entity.?

?Like most of our countrymen, I wonder, what other lavish expenses were made by the Philippine delegation?? he added.

Interviewed on radio, Guingona said that the President has been spending for her trips abroad way above the allocated budget from 2003 until 2008.

He said the expenses for the trip that could not anymore be covered by the regular budget for travel were sourced from the President?s P640-million contingency fund.

Guingona said the COA should look into the excessive travel spending, including the President?s latest US trip.

Citing COA figures, Guingona said that Arroyo spent P722 million in 2008 for travel, or P478 million more than the regular budget of P244 million.

In 2007, Arroyo?s total travel expenditures reached P656 million, or P395 million more than the travel allocation of P261 million.

In 2006, even as the President?s budget was only P261 million, total expenses incurred for travel reached P421 million or P 160 million more.

In 2005, Arroyo spent P325 million for her travels, above the P209 million budget.

In 2004, the expenses reached P256 million, while in 2003, expenses totaled P332 million.

The budget for travel in 2003 and 2004 was P72 million for each year.

?So there is really a pattern here. . . . And if you ask me if this violates the law, the answer is yes, because the yearly appropriation is a law approved in Congress,? Guingona said.

Casino said that apart from the regular mandate of the COA to audit annual government expenditures, it may also Create special audit teams ?to conduct limited scope audits focusing on a particular program or project or a fund of an agency or a project or activity in defined geographical areas.?

The special audit team is required to prepare a report to be submitted to the chairman after each audit or while the audit is still in progress when the findings so warrant.

Casino and fellow partylist Representative Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza on Thursday filed a resolution for an investigation into the controversy.