Duterte to Red Cross: Gov't to pay almost P1-B debt due to COVID-19 tests

Published October 19, 2020 09:15 PM By JULIA MARI ORNEDO,GMA News

President Rodrigo Duterte vowed Monday night to pay off the P930-million debt of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) to the Philippine Red Cross after the humanitarian organization stopped accepting tests chargeable to the state insurer.

“Itong Red Cross, ‘wag kang mag-alala. Mabayaran ‘to. They’re just looking for a way to present the solution to the [Commission on Audit] pati sa budget,” Duterte told Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.

“It will take time, but we will pay. We will look for the money. Hindi naman marami, but the priority natin dito is really medical,” he added.

Red Cross earlier said it would stop accepting specimens from returning Filipinos, mega swabbing facilities, and local government units, among others, due to mounting unpaid debt.

PhilHealth President and CEO Dante Gierran said last week that he would not settle the state health insurer’s debt

to Red Cross until issues on the implementation of the Memorandum of Agreement were resolved. Red Cross conducts 30 percent of the total COVID-19 tests performed nationwide.

The organization accounted for over 1 million of the 4.3 million tests conducted as of October 18, data from the Department of Health show.

Testing czar Secretary Vince Dizon earlier warned that testing output would drop following the organization’s announcement.

In Metro Manila alone, the number of samples processed fell by 20 percent immediately after the Red Cross limited its testing operations. 

The Philippines has tallied 359,169 infections as of Monday afternoon, still the 20th highest worldwide. -NB, GMA News

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