The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has not yet issued any payment to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) despite the go signal to the state insurer.
PRC Chairperson and Senator Richard Gordon said the PhilHealth owes PRC a total of Php 1.1 billion and “no payment as yet in spite of their numerous announcements that they will pay.”
“We are holding (the) construction of new provincial molecular laboratories such as Quezon, Albay, Pangasinan, BARMM, Laguna… At the moment we are almost out of test kits. To replenish we need to be paid,” Gordon emphasized.
Some transactions on needed equipment and additional test kits were also cancelled due to the unremitted payables. Gordon added that the non-payment to PRC will make them unable to pay test kits and equipment worth $6.8 million.
“Red Cross ang nag-advance, billions ang in-advance sa amin (It is the Red Cross that had advance payments, billions were in advance),” Gordon pointed.
The blue ribbon committee chair added that PhilHealth is playing with people’s lives and cases might increase with lack of testing.
Meanwhile, a portion of the DOJ’s opinion to Atty. Dante Gierran stated that they “cannot give an opinion” if PhilHealth is “legally obligated to pay PRC billings” The opinion quoted by Presidential Spokesperson Roque explained that this is because “there are no facts given on which we can base our opinion, particularly on the completeness of the requirements and compliance with accounting and auditing rules and procedures.”
While the issue between PRC and PhilHealth is pending resolution, Roque said the DOH has been coordinating with eight private laboratories to assist in the testing of returning Filipinos. – Report from Eunice Samonte
