Lawyer calls prompt probe into senior, PWD discount violations

Atty. Romulo Macalintal (INQUIRER FILES)

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives should expedite its investigation on reports that some establishments deny discounts to senior citizens (SCs) and persons with disabilities (PWDs), a lawyer said on Tuesday.

Atty. Romulo Macalintal, who represented a senior citizen who sued two officials of a hotel in Pasig City for not granting a 20 percent senior citizen’s discount, issued the appeal after Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Monday called for a probe on establishments denying discounts to SCs and PWDs. 

“Speaker Romualdez is in the right position to initiate an investigation for possible amendments or modifications of the laws pertaining to the rights and benefits of SCs/PWDs and for the concerned agencies, especially the local government units (LGUs), to actively implement these laws,” said Macalintal in a statement.

“…And the investigation should be done now. Not later. Before we run out of time,” he added.

Macalintal said concerned agencies and LGUs under Paragraph 4, Section 10(c) of R.A. 9994, are empowered to cancel or revoke the business permit or permit to operate of any entity that fails to comply with the SC and PWD discounts.

“Sad to say, the agencies designated by law to protect their rights have not been very active in the proper implementation of the laws as if giving these unscrupulous firms the license to violate or deny SCs/PWDs their benefits,” said Macalintal.

According to Macalintal, violators use “all technicalities and unreasonable grounds” to violate the rights of senior citizens and PWDs.

He cited an incident involving a senior citizen client of a hotel in Pasig City who was denied a discount supposedly due to a “promo” — later discovered to have no clearance from the Department of Trade and Industry, which is in violation of Article 116 of RA 7394, or the Consumer Act of the Philippines.

This resulted in the Pasig City Prosecutors Office filing criminal cases against the president and finance director of the said hotel which is now pending before the Pasig City Metropolitan Trial Court.

Macalintal cited another apparent violation which is the reported policy of a popular and high-end coffee chain that limits SC/PWD discounts to only one food item and one drink per visit. 

“As a senior citizen, I felt insulted by such a policy.  As if I am being suspected of cheating this coffee shop in that any additional order is not for my exclusive consumption but for others,” said the lawyer.

Macalintal said that if the coffee chain aims to combat instances of abuse related to discounts for SCs and PWDs, its focus should be on pursuing violators rather than penalizing the PWDs and SCs themselves.