Senator Robinhood “Robin” Padilla said the enactment of the Philippine Islamic Burial Act, or Republic Act No. 12160, marks the culmination of a long and rigorous process in Congress to uphold Muslim Filipinos' cultural and religious traditions.

Padilla, who sponsored House Bill 8925 - the basis of the new law - in the Senate, said the measure went through the proper procedures in plenary and the appropriate hearings.

"Ang RA 12160 ay isang mahalagang bagay para sa mga kapatid nating Muslim, para masunod sa tradisyong Islam sa paglibing sa kanilang mga mahal sa buhay. Hindi matatawaran ang prosesong pinagdaanan nito para maging ganap na batas (RA 12160 is very important to our Muslim brethren because they can now follow the traditions of Islam in burying their loved ones. We cannot discount the process the measure went through to become a law)," he said.

Last Jan. 21, Padilla sponsored House Bill 8925 on the Senate floor, where he sought his fellow senators' attention and support for "simple ngunit makabuluhang panukalang ito para sa inyong mga kapatid na Muslim (a simple but meaningful measure for our Muslim brethren)."

Padilla added that the bill symbolizes the support for our society's respect for our dearly departed.

In May 2024, Padilla presided over a hearing on the House bill as chairman of the Senate Committee on Cultural Communities and Muslim Affairs.

The Senate approved the House bill while the House of Representatives adopted the amendments to the measure as proposed by the senators.

Under the new law, the burial of Muslim cadavers shall be performed as soon as possible, with or without a certificate of death, provided that the death is reported by the person who performed the burial rites or by the next of kin of the deceased within 14 days after the date of burial to the local health officer.