Duterte wants to read COA audits for Red Cross, which is not a gov't agency

President Rodrigo Duterte demanded on Thursday that  the Commission on Audit (COA) should audit Philippine Red Cross, a non-government and non-profit agency, after he accused the organization's chairman and Senator Richard Gordon of using it as a "milking cow."

Duterte once again criticized Gordon, who is leading the Senate probe on the alleged overpriced COVID-19 equipment, accusing the senator of using funds from Red Cross for campaigning.

"I dare say na ginamit mo talaga ito para sa elections. Ito yung milking cow mo e. You have been there for quite a time. Is it not fair to say na bumitaw ka na to give others a chance para mahinto mo na 'yung ginagawa mong kalokohan," the Chief Executive said during his pre-taped Cabinet briefing.

For Duterte, Gordon's biggest fault was to halt testing after the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation owed millions of debts to the Red Cross.

In 2020, Red Cross stopped helping the government in coronavirus testing because PhilHealth still had debts but it resumed testing after the state health insurer made partial payment.

"Ang pinakamabaho ang nakita ko is, you  (Gordon) threatened to stop testing... You stopped testing people so that they will die? Just because you are not paid and the money you have accumulated all these years would run into  billions," Duterte said.

Following this, Duterte demanded that the Commission on Audit (COA) should conduct an audit of the Red Cross, a non-government organization.

"Gusto ko talaga makita ang audit talaga ng Red Cross. And maybe I can, I will demand... the executive department will demand that we will furnish copies of your audit taken by COA and COA to give us the copy so that we can review also what you have audited at tignan namin kung tama o hindi," he said.

According to a post on the COA website, one of the responsibilities of the Commission is to "Examine, audit and settle all accounts pertaining to the revenue and receipts of, and expenditures or uses of funds and property owned or held in trust by, or pertaining to, the government."

Duterte then said they will look into Gordon's records as a public official to determine if the senator is guilty of malversation of funds.

"I'm sure we will find something and we believe that you are also guilty of well sabihin mo nang malversation, well tell us. We will be happy to know kung mayroon o wala. Salamat Mr. Gordon," Duterte said. -- BAP, GMA News