MANILA, Philippines – Albay 1st District Representative Edcel Lagman, among the longest-serving lawmakers in Congress post-EDSA revolution, passed away on Thursday, January 30.
He was 82.
His family confirmed the veteran legislator’s passing in a statement.
“He left this world the way he lived his life — with integrity, compassion, and fearlessness. He fought until the end with the dogged determination, tenacity, and unshakable hopefulness that defined all that he stood for,” Tabaco City Mayor Kristel Lagman said.
Lagman first served as district representative in 1987 and served three terms until 1998. He again served from 2004 to 2013, then 2016 until his day of passing.
One of the most respected figures in the legislature, Lagman leaves behind a legacy of championing progressive reforms in the Philippines.
He was the principal author of the reproductive health bill, which hurdled Congress and became a law in 2013 despite staunch opposition from the Catholic Church and other conservative sectors.
He was also among the main movers in the House of landmark human rights legislations, such as the law that abolished the death penalty in 2006, the Anti-Torture Act of 2009, Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act of 2012, and Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013.
Lagman also supported measures on divorce and gender equality, and, before he became sick in 2024, actively lobbied for the Human Rights Defenders Protection Bill.
Until his death, he was the president of the Liberal Party, establishing himself as a key opposition figure during the administrations of Rodrigo Duterte and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. – Rappler.com