Philippines enacts law ensuring prompt Islamic burials for Muslims

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed into law a new measure mandating the timely burial of Filipino Muslims in accordance with Islamic traditions, local media reported Tuesday.

The Philippine Islamic Burial Act, signed on April 11 and published in the Official Gazette on Monday, stipulates that Muslim burials must occur as soon as possible—even without a death certificate—to honor religious customs.

The law requires the individual who conducted the burial rites or the deceased’s next of kin to report the death to the local health officer within 14 days. The health official will then determine the cause of death and issue the appropriate certificate.

According to the legislation, hospitals, clinics, funeral homes, morgues, custodial institutions, or any individual in possession of the deceased must release the body within 24 hours for burial.

Refusal to release a Muslim body without just cause, such as unpaid hospital or funeral fees, is now punishable by law. Offenders face a jail term of one to six months, a fine ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 pesos (approximately $882 to $1,764), or both.