House OKs bill seeking to ensure proper burial of Muslim Filipinos

House of Representatives. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — A bill that seeks to set guidelines regarding the proper burial of Muslim Filipinos — in accordance to Islamic rites — has been approved by the House of Representatives on third and final reading.

During the House plenary session on Tuesday, House Bill (HB) No. 8925 or the proposed Philippine Islamic Burial Act was approved with 234 lawmakers voting in favor of the bill, with none abstaining or voting against it.

HB No. 8925, if enacted, would allow the burial of deceased Muslims even without a death certificate, provided that it will be reported by the person who performed the Islamic burial rites or the next of kin of the deceased to a local health officer.

The local health officer will then prepare the death certificate.

The said proposal outlines the following:

• Muslim cadavers will be released within 24 hours by a hospital, medical clinic, funeral parlor, morgue, custodial facilities or prison facilities
• The cadaver will be wrapped with white cloth and placed in an airtight bag or a cadaver wooden box that is leak proof, zipped or closed with tapes or bandage strips
• Unpaid costs like hospital bills, medical expenses, professional fees, wrapping fees, shipping fees, would be a valid reason to withhold the cadaver

“The concerned party may, however, execute a promissory note for the unpaid obligation, or any other existing payment scheme acceptable to the other party,” the bill stated.

“Any person or entity who withholds or otherwise causes, directly or indirectly, the withholding of Muslim cadavers in their possession […] for other unjustifiable reasons shall be punished by imprisonment of not less than one (1) month, but not more than six (6) months, or a fine of not less than Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00), but not more than One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00), or both, at the discretion of the court,” the bill added.

Both the Department of Health and the National Commission for Muslim Filipinos have been designated and tasked to create the rules and regulations for the implementation of the bill, should it be enacted by the President.

House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said the passage of the proposed measure only highlights the free exercise of religion as provided under the 1987 Constitution.

“This measure seeks to further validate the free exercise of religion enshrined under our Constitution by allowing our Muslim brothers and sisters to bury their dead in accordance with their faith’s practice, and free from any prohibition and hindrance,” Romualdez said.

RELATED STORY

Lawmaker seeks dedicated cemeteries for Muslims 

JPV