MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Red Cross (PRC) chair Senator Richard Gordon found as “harsh” a lawmaker’s statement against the humanitarian organization warning it to “stop blackmailing the government.”“He used a very harsh word ‘blackmail’,” Gordon told reporters in an online interview on Tuesday, referring to Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers. ADVERTISEMENT“That’s associated with criminals…We are not criminals. The senator disclosed that the PRC had to cancel a chartered flight to China to get more test kits due to PhilHealth’s failure to settle its debt. As Gordon cried foul over Barbers’ remarks, the senator said the PRC is almost finished with the construction of a molecular laboratory in the congressman’s home province. “By the way, tell him thank you for allowing the Red Cross to serve his constituency we are putting up right now almost finishing the molecular laboratory in his home province in Surigao.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer October 27, 2020 11:36 UTC