MEMBERS of the Senate on Thursday said that they are open to any scrutiny that will be conducted by the Commission on Audit (COA) on the additional maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) given to them in the last two months of 2012.

Senate Majority leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto 3rd said that it is the duty of the state auditor to examine the expenditures of government offices, including the Senate.

Sotto maintained that the P1.6-million additional expenses given to each senator by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile before the Christmas break in 2012 is not a Christmas gift, or money that they can use personally.

“For many years, they’ve been using those funds and never thought it unconscionable, and suddenly there is this issue,” he said.

Senators Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan 2nd and Sergio “Serge” Osmeña 3rd said that they are also open to any auditors’ inquiry over the MOOE.

“More transparency is always better than less,” said Marcos, who added that it is also good that the public knows how senators use the funds.

Honasan, for his part, said that senators as public officials also have a duty to be transparent.

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Thursday formally asked Audit Chairman Ma. Grace Pulido-Tan to study the reported widespread abuse of the constitutional word “savings” and “public purpose” in the use of discretionary funds.

Santiago made the request following reports about the distribution of additional operating expenses to 18 senators, excluding her and three others.

Enrile confirmed giving additional expenses to senators on the amount of P2.218 million, not P1.6 million, given in three portions or tranches.

The first tranche was in the amount of P600,000, which was received by all 23 senators in November. The balance was then divided into two tranches of P1.3 million and P318,000, which were released before the Christmas break.

Santiago said that the Constitution allows savings to be used by the office at the end of the year, but in reality, she claimed that the head of office manipulates the books and creates so-called savings, by refusing to fill up vacancies, or refusing to buy essential office supplies or services, or capital equipment.

Santiago noted that her request is intended to help the Senate Committee on Revision of Code and Law, which she heads, to come up with a potential legislation to reduce corruption, by stopping such abuses.

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, meanwhile, said that lawmakers who are questioning and calling the additional expenses unconscionable should not have accepted the P600,000 given to them in December 2012.

He said that one could not preach righteousness after committing what he or she claimed to be a very unconscionable act.

“I find nothing wrong accepting the additional MOOE as long as I don’t pocket it and instead use the same for its intended purpose,” Lacson added.