The interment services are covered by the 20 percent discount of Senior citizens or those who are at least 60 years old, as mandated by Republic Act 7432 or the Senior Citizens Act, the Supreme Court (SC) ruled on Thursday.
In a press briefer, SC said it granted the petition filed by the Republic of the Philippines to reverse the Cagayan de Oro Regional Trial Court's (RTC) ruling in 2018, which excluded interment service from the senior citizen's discount on funeral and burial expenses.
The petition was filed by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
"The Supreme Court, in ruling that interment services are covered by the provision of RA 7432, as amended by RA 9257 and RA 9994, which grants a 20% discount on the funeral and burial services for the death of senior citizens," it said.
According to the higher court, the aftermentioned Senior citizens' laws does "not limit the scope of the services falling under funeral and burial services.”
The SC also said its decision was supported by the Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRs) that "prescribe the guidelines in the application of the 20% discount on funeral and burial services."
"The Court found that the exclusion by the RTC of interment services from the coverage of the 20% senior citizen discount is not provided under the law, and that the IRR, which does not explicitly exclude interment services, cannot be interpreted to support the lower court’s Resolution," it further said.
