Greedy funeral parlor owners face sanctions

Greedy funeral parlor and morgue owners who refuse to release the remains of the dead to relatives for lack of money will be punished with heavy penalties when a bill in the House of Representatives is elected into law.

The bill intends to lessen the burden of poor people already reeling from the high costs of hospitalization and other basic needs.

House Bill No. 3799 or the "Burial Act of 2001" authored by Caloocan City First District Rep. Enrico "Recom" Echiverri, in a move to be fair to all parties, also intends to protect the morgue owners from being unduly disadvantaged by giving them the right to demand or request for promissory notes or other documents to ensure payment for their services.

The proposed measure also prohibits funeral firms from demanding a deposit as a requirement for providing funeral services or for accepting the remains of the deceased.

According to Echiverri, the measure seeks to remedy the tragic situation where the aggrieved family suffers even more when they lack the financial means to retrieve the remains of their loved ones from the morgue.

"It is my hope that the proposed bill would further help ease the pain of loss and grief, particularly for financially disadvantaged members of our society," Echiverri said.

Under the bill, any official or employee of the funeral parlor or morgue who violates the provision shall be punished by imprisonment of not less than six months but not more than two years and four months or a fine of not less than P20,000 but not more than P100,000 or both, at the discretion of the court. – Jerry Botial