The Supreme Court (SC) has ruled that senior citizens cannot claim an additional 20% discount on top of an existing promotional or negotiated discount, allowing them to choose whichever option provides greater savings.
In a statement on Wednesday, October 14, the SC En Banc clarified that senior citizens purchasing goods or services at promotional prices may opt for either the promotional discount or the mandatory 20% senior citizen discount under the law, but cannot combine the two.
The ruling came as the high court acquitted Orville U. Ong, general manager of a hotel in Bacolod City, of violating the Senior Citizens Act over allegations that he refused to grant the mandatory discount to hotel guests Atty. Paul S. Alcazaren, 66, and Eric Gadiana, 70.
Ong argued that the hotel had already applied a 20% discount to the room rate negotiated for the Cebu Bikers Club, of which the two guests were members. The discount was not separately indicated on the official receipt because it had already been deducted from the total amount.
The Municipal Trial Court in Cities, Regional Trial Court, and Court of Appeals had found Ong guilty. However, the Supreme Court reversed the lower courts’ decisions, finding that the guests had already benefited from the 20% discount through the club’s negotiated rate.
The high court ruled that the hotel was therefore not required to provide another 20% discount on top of the existing reduction.
While recognizing the Senior Citizens Act’s objective of protecting and supporting senior citizens, the SC stressed that its implementation must also be fair and reasonable to businesses.
“The State’s pursuit of public welfare cannot be allowed to impose undue or confiscatory burdens on private establishments, whose continued viability is essential to the long-term effectiveness of the law,” the SC said.
