President Rodrigo Duterte said he would call on the Department of Health to investigate the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing conducted by the Philippine Red Cross because of what he called unusually high false positive results.
According to the President, he received information that 44 out of 49 or 89.79 percent of total hospital personnel who tested positive in PRC testing turned out negative in another molecular laboratory.
He added that “187 out of 213 or 87.79 percent of the Presidential Security Group personnel tested positive in the PRC Manila Laboratory but tested negative in their confirmatory test.”
Officials of the Department of Finance reported a similar experience when they tested positive in PRC testing facilities but eventually had negative results on their confirmatory tests.
“Because of this information, then maybe the DOH must investigate this matter. You could be putting more people at risk. You could be falsely adding to the total positive cases per day of this country,” Duterte said.
“How many positive a day, daily attacks, but negative? They were included in the number who got sick. How sure are we now in our figures in the veracity and truthfulness of the test combined with who went to the Red Cross?” he asked.
Philippine Red Cross, a humanitarian organization in the country, is committed to various social welfare services and promoting volunteerism currently chaired by Senator Gordon.
Gordon, responding to Duterte, said the Philippine Red Cross was open for any investigation on reports that the COVID-19 tests conducted by the humanitarian agency produced “false positive” results.
Following the positive results of the RT-PCR test on around 40 hospital workers from Subic, Gordon related they rechecked the findings from their molecular laboratory in Subic.
He said the hospital workers yielded positive results in the confirmatory tests.
“And now the minions of the President were saying we committed a mistake,” stressed Gordon.
“Now they are investigating, we are open Sir,” he said.
Gordon got the ire of the President for leading the investigation on the alleged overpriced procurement of medical supplies for COVID-19 pandemic response (see story on A1 – Editors).
Meanwhile, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III confirmed the significant contributions of Red Cross to the government and the DOH.
He also affirmed Red Cross was second to the government in terms of testing capacity output.
Meanwhile, Duterte said there was a “legal basis” to request the Commission on Audit to investigate the financial records of the Philippine Red Cross.
“When I asked for an audit of Philippine Red Cross by COA, it is with legal basis,” Duterte said during his prerecorded Talk to the People on Monday night.
Duterte said this was clearly stated in the Constitution and under Republic Act 10072 or the Philippine Red Cross Act of 2009.
“I need to order an investigation of Red Cross for a host of reasons, the first thing is about the money,” he said.
Citing the mandated law, Duterte said the PRC was required to submit its annual financial report to the Office of the President.
“The Constitution itself requires bidding for every centavo that goes into the private hands for the purpose of charity,” he said, adding the PRC was a “very laudable entity.”
“We are not attacking the Philippine Red Cross. We just would like to know if the resources of the government had given to it — is well managed,” he said.
Duterte has instructed the Solicitor General to write to COA Chairman Michael Aguinaldo requesting to conduct an audit over PRC’s financial status.
Duterte said he also wanted to see transparency from Gordon’s handling of the PRC.
“You want transparency in the transactions that’s why you’re dwelling on Pharmally? In the same manner, we get also to see if there is transparency in the Red Cross under you and you yourself in connection with the Red Cross functions,” he said.
Gordon chairs the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee that is looking into the alleged overpriced contracts of the government’s procurement of COVID-19 supplies at the onset of the pandemic last year.
