Philippine Red Cross chief to Duterte: ‘Hindi kami mukhang pera’

A COVID-19 swab sample collection facility at the Philippine Red Cross headquarters in Mandaluyong City. (EDWIN BACASMAS)

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Richard Gordon on Friday said that President Rodrigo Duterte should avoid being impulsive in issuing comments after the latter called the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), which Gordon chairs, “mukhang pera” (greedy).

In an interview on ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo, Gordon said that the government is really required to settle its debt to the PRC for its COVID-19 testing services.

“Hindi kami mukhang pera. Ang sinasabi ko lang, dahan-dahan naman sa pananalita because nakakatulong naman kami. Hindi naman kami umutang, sila ang umutang, sila nagpa-test, ginawa namin. ‘Di ba dapat bayaran ninyo?

(We are not greedy. What I am saying is he should be cautious in making statements because the Red Cross is helping out.  We are not the ones with the debt but them, they were the ones who ordered the tests and we just administered it. Should they not pay for it?)

Sen. Richard Gordon. (FILE) Screen grab / Senate PRIB

“I’ll give him (Duterte) the benefit of the doubt. Baka naman ang tinutukoy nya ‘yung talagang nagsamantala nung hindi kami nag-test kasi ang baba ng test namin eh, ang baba ng halaga eh,” Gordon said.

(I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he was referring to others who took advantage of the tests when we stopped administering tests. The tests we administer are affordable)
“Hindi naman kami ang tinutukoy palagay ko eh. (I think he was not referring to us). I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt out of respect for the President,” Gordon added. 

On Thursday night, Duterte called the PRC greedy after it resumed its COVID-19 testing services following the government’s payment of half of its nearly P1-billion debt.

President Rodrigo Duterte during a Cabinet meeting in Malacanang. Screengrab from RTVM live feed / PCOO

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