By Fernan Angeles
SENATOR Richard Gordon wants to investigate and determine culpable cases that should be filed against the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation to the Philippine Red Cross which he is the head.
Gordon is apparently appalled at the most recent statement issued by new PhilHealth President and chief executive officer Dante Gierran, who categorically said that they are not paying the Gordon-headed PRC unless legal questions over the deal have been addressed.
Gierran also made a public call for congressional probe on the PhilHealth-PRC deal.
However, Gordon insisted that it is PhilHealth that should be investigated for its debt to the non-government organization for the COVID-19 tests it has conducted.
The PRC earlier announced it would halt PhilHealth-funded coronavirus testing due to the state insurer’s P1-billion outstanding bill as of Friday.
PhilHealth apologized for the delay in payment, saying it was partly due to the review being conducted amid the corruption probe on the state insurer.
Gordon on Sunday warned PhilHealth officials against speaking ill of the NGO amid a supposed investigation by the state insurer. “Nakakapundi talaga yung sasabihin, meron kaming sinisiyasat. Kami ba may kasalanan o kayo? Kayo ang lumapit, di naman kami,” Gordon said.
“Dapat sila imbestigahin ba’t di nila binabayaran. Ayoko sanang pumasok, marami akong nalalaman dyan. Ayoko lang sabihin na pinepuwersa natin sila. Pero meron akong mga dokumentong na hawak na nag-overprice sila dun sa tinatawag natin test kits.”
Gordon urged PhilHealth officials to file cases against PRC should they find any violations.
“Merong dalawang direktor ata dyan – didiretsuhin ko na – kung galit kayo at meron kayong kaso, i-file ninyo at ‘wag niyo pahirapan ang taumbayan. Kung may kasalanan kami, sabihin ninyo. Hindi yung naghahaka-haka kayo,” he said.
“Ayoko sana magsalita nang ganito. Pero, kagabi, nung narinig ko, sabi kesyo tatanungin namin sa DBM (Department of Budget and Management), ‘di naman DBM nakipagkontrata sa’min. Ang nakipagkontrata sa’min, PhilHealth.”
Over 1 million coronavirus tests, or about a fourth of the Philippines’ 3.8 million tests so far, were done by PRC.
The country’s cumulative COVID-19 cases swelled to 354,338 on Saturday, of which, 52,423 are active infections.