Casino: Hiring private accountants to audit Senate could bring more problems

The proposal of Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano to hire private auditing firm to scrutinize liquidation and certification of funds in the Senate could just bring in more problems, Bayan Muna party list Rep. Teddy Casino said on Saturday.

Casino said he is not comfortable to the proposal for private accountants to look into the P1.6 million given by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile to 18 members of the chamber and P250,000 to four senators who are not in good terms with the Senate president.

"I fear that this will bring more problems to the Senate because it will weaken the power of the Commission on Audit (COA) and could send a bad precedent which will put the auditing agency in awkward situation," Casino told newsmen at the weekly Saturday Forum at Annabel's Restaurant in Quezon City.

He said it is only the COA that is mandated by the Constitution to guard expenditures of all government agencies, departments, bureaus and all attached agencies.

According to the veteran legislator, COA had offices in all government agencies as resident accountants who continue to monitor the movement of all expenditures.

Casino added there is no guarantee that the auditing results of private accountants will come out unquestioned.

Cayetano earlier said that if a private auditing firm does the accounting, there will be no shadow of doubt.

Casino said it is common practice in both Houses of Congress where members of the minority gets lesser bonus, stressing there is no mention in the law on what specific amount would be given.

If it is really needed, Casino said reforms in the budgeting and accounting should be reviewed and can be amended by the next Congress. (PNA)