Non-presidential ‘Mukhang pear’ comment? Let Duterte say what he wants – Palace

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte should be able to “say what he wants to say,” his spokesman said Friday, after the Philippine Red Cross criticized the CEO’s allegation of greed against the group that conducted about a quarter of the tests. of coronavirus of the country.

Duterte said Thursday “mukhang pera” or greedy, just after Health Secretary Francisco Duque III told him that the People’s Republic of China had resumed its coronavirus tests following the government’s payment of about half of its debt. of almost P1 billion.

Senator Richard Gordon, who chairs the humanitarian organization, said Friday that the president “should be very careful” because his statement “is not really presidential.”

“Let na lang, the president, say what he wants to say, and let it be on the record,” said Duterte spokesman Harry Roque.

“Bahala na po ang (it is up to) the People’s Republic of China to interpret what the president said,” he said at a public briefing.

Under an agreement it signed with the government earlier this year, the People’s Republic of China would charge P3,500 for swabs from frontline people and other agencies backed by state health insurer PhilHealth, which would cover the cost of their COVID tests. -19.

On October 27, PhilHealth made a partial payment to the People’s Republic of China worth 500 million pesos for its debt of 1.1 billion pesos. PhilHealth paid another P100 million on Thursday.

PhilHealth still owes the Red Cross about P377 million, Gordon said.

The Philippines has the second highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Southeast Asia after Indonesia.

The health department reported 1,594 new coronavirus infections and 42 additional deaths on Thursday. The agency said total confirmed cases rose to 389,725 while deaths reached 7,409. – With a Reuters report