Gordon says PhilHealth must pay P561-M debt to Red Cross in 3 days

Senator Richard Gordon on Wednesday said the PhilHealth should pay its outstanding balance of over P561 million to the Philippine Red Cross within three days.

In an interview on ANC, Gordon was asked to elaborate on his demand for PhilHealth to "pay right away."

"The debt is due and demandable. The agreement says upon the demand by the Red Cross of payment when we submit the receipts and all the things that go with that such as the records and results, they should pay in three days," Gordon said.

The host clarified if the PRC chairman meant that PhilHealth should pay its outstanding half a billion debt in three days.

"Yes, they should do that," the senator said. "We're not even charging interest ha."

Gordon pointed out that their available funds for COVID-19 testing are disposed very fast as they process thousands of samples.

He said the PhilHealth's debt will pile up once again if the state health insurer would not settle the remaining balance as soon as possible.

PhilHealth settled half of its P1-billion debt  to the humanitarian organization on Tuesday afternoon.

In response, the PRC said it will resume accepting samples from those covered by the PhilHealth-fund.

The still unsettled half-a-billion debt is equivalent to unpaid 160,475 COVID tests, according to Gordon. —LBG, GMA News