Senate has oversupply of toilet paper, office supplies

Two senators on Wednesday urged the Senate to look into a Commission on Audit (COA) report that the chamber wasted P3 million in public funds in 2016 by overstocking on office supplies, including toilet paper.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III and Sen. JV Ejercito called for a Senate inquiry likely to be undertaken by the accounts committee headed by Sen. Panfilo Lacson.

“It’s best that it’s investigated. Let’s find out who did the procurement and why. It’s the best thing to do to find out if it’s overstocked,” Sotto said at a news forum in the Senate.

He said those responsible should be held accountable.

Ejercito agreed, saying “heads should roll” if the overstocking is proven.

“We have to maintain our integrity,” Ejercito said.

He said Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III was aware of the COA report and had promised to look into it once he returned home from a trip to France.

Among the excess office supplies, the COA report said, were toner, ink cartridges, office envelopes and AAA batteries worth P1.4 million.

The Senate also had an excess of 6,392 rolls of tissue paper worth P37,000, the report said.