Position Paper

-Elma, Anthony E.
*Right to an adequate standard of living and dying

Death is an inevitable event of life. The right to an adequate standard of living carries with
it the same right to an adequate standard of dying. Living is, after all, dying in its ultimate
sense. You live to die and that’s how we practically grasp the reality of living in this world.
Nothing and no one lives forever in this world. This may sound too morbid but what is
happening now in the country seems to set aside the dignity and respect due to a deceased
Filipino, most specifically when you die as a suspect or probable Corona Virus Disease-
2019 (COVID-19) positive case. I will not lift a chair to argue if in truth and in fact, you died
of COVID-19. However, if otherwise, to me, you should not be immediately cremated or
buried against your wish and religious rites or against the will of those obliged to arrange
for your funeral. In the same vein, you deserve to have meaningful, decent memorial
arrangements within a reasonable length of time.

Per Joint Memorandum Circular No. 01, series of 2020, of the Department of Interior and
Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Health (DOH) or the Suppletory
Guidelines on the Management of Human Remains for Patient Under Investigation (PUI)
and Confirmed COVID-19 Cases (DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2020-0063),