MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Friday that he would pay the 931 million pesos ($19. 25 million) he owes to the Red Cross after the humanitarian company stop conducting COVID-19 tests.
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC), which conducted 1. 1 million swab tests and accounts for a quarter of the country’s production, stopped offering research on Friday until it was paid for, leading to the country’s limited number of laboratories filling the gap.
“The president is committed to the government paying its obligations to the CPP,” Duterte spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement. The government is asking the People’s Republic of China to resume its services, Roque added.
Filipino staff returning abroad, frontline fitness staff and others running in giant collection facilities get loose COVID-19 testing through the CPP. The test fee is billed to Philippine Health Insurance Corp (Philfitness), the state’s fitness insurer.
But the People’s Republic of China said Philhealth had 931 million pesos in bonds as of October 13, hindering his ability to fill out check kits and pay lab workers.
Returning Filipino staff will have to go through negative COVID-19 before they are allowed to leave quarantined hotels. The presidential workplace called for patience and understanding of stranded Filipino staff to solve the problem.
The People’s Republic of China said it would continue to make swabs for paying customers.
With 365,799 infections shown and 6,915 deaths, the Philippines has the highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Southeast Asia, Indonesia.
(1 USD – 48. 36 Philippine pesos)
(Report through Neil Jerome Morales; Editing via Angus MacSwan)
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