Gordon: PhilHealth should pay P500-M debt to Red Cross ‘right away’

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) should pay the bulk of its P762.8-million debt to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) for previous COVID-19 tests immediately, the humanitarian organization's chairman Senator Richard Gordon said on Monday.

"They should pay at least half a billion right away and then they can pay P200 million in one to three days," Gordon said in an interview on CNN-Philippines.

Now that the holidays are over, he said the COVID-19 tests that the PRC needs to facilitate are expected to reach an average of 6,000 to 7,000 daily.

Gordon, who earlier warned that the PRC's COVID-19 testing may be suspended again if PhilHealth won't be able to settle its mounting debt, expressed exasperation over the payment strategy of the state health insurer.

"Kung gusto nila bayaran na nila 'yan, magbago na sila ng contract. Ayoko na ngang makipagkontrata kung ganyan ang labanan dahil mahirap eh. Half the time of our people are wasted worrying about whether we're going to continue," Gordon said.

Nonetheless, the senator said it would be the Philippine Red Cross' Board of Governors which would decide on such matters.

Pressed if the PRC will take legal action against PhilHealth over its pending balances, Gordon said: "I do not want to file cases, the Red Cross is not in that business. Kami, tulong lang nang tulong.''

"Kung titigil ang testing ng Red Cross, napakalaking bagay. Hindi kami nagmamalaki pero gusto namin up to date. Kung pipigilan, lalaki lalo ang maaring magkasakit," he added.

Last October, the PRC halted COVID-19 tests chargeable to PhilHealth after the latter failed to settle its outstanding balance amounting to nearly P1 billion. It resumed after the PRC received partial payment from the state health insurer.

Almost 1.6 million COVID-19 tests have so far been conducted by the PRC nationwide.

The PhilHealth, meanwhile, asked the PRC for understanding over the delayed payment of its balance for COVID-19 tests.

PhilHealth spokesperson Rey Baleña earlier said the state insurer had to comply with the accounting rules and regulations of the Commission on Audit.

"Humihingi kami ng pang-unawa sa Philippine Red Cross at sa publiko pagdating sa bagay na ito na bagamat may three days deadline, pero alam niyo kailangan talaga isa-isahin namin bawat claim," he said. — RSJ, GMA News