Tributes continue to be aired for Albay (first district) Rep. Edcel Lagman, who died on Jan. 30 after a long and illustrious career in lawmaking and defending human rights beginning in the Marcos Sr. dictatorship.   

In a Facebook post “mourning” the loss of Lagman, Leni Robredo said that when she was vice president, she constantly sought him out for “political advice.”

“My fondness for him was very personal,” she said. “His wisdom, borne from his years as an outstanding public servant, always helped me gain clarity,” 

Robredo recalled “memorable” frequent visits to the Quezon City home of Lagman, like herself a native of Bicol:  “The family serves the best food and I could go home with a week’s worth of baon and a cache of valuable fatherly counsel.”

“Bicol lost a great son. He will be terribly missed,” she added.

At the time of his death, Lagman was the president of the Liberal Party. He was a member of the House for 29 years, serving as representative of the first district of Albay from 1987 to 1998, from 2004 to 2013, and from 2016 to 2025.

Landmark laws

The landmark laws that Lagman authored involve issues crucial to Filipinos and their welfare (responsible parenthood and reproductive health, comprehensive agrarian reform, abolition of the death penalty, prevention of child marriage) and address certain crimes spawned by the dictatorship (compensation to martial law victims, criminalization of enforced disappearance, prohibition of torture).

He was the principal author of several measures pending approval in the House, involving prevention of teenage pregnancy, protection of human rights defenders, and prohibition of Red-tagging, among others.

Lagman led the passage in the House of the controversial bill on absolute divorce, which was passed on third and final reading on May 22, 2024. In an interview with CoverStory.ph at that time, he boldly predicted that the predominantly Catholic Philippines would finally have a law allowing couples in troubled marriages to divorce. He called himself the “bastonero” or ring leader of the measure and expressed the belief that President Marcos Jr.’s administration was keen on its passage. 

Unfortunately, the counterpart measure in the Senate is still up for second reading. Congress is scheduled to go on a four-month break starting on Feb.7 for the campaign for the May elections. 

Sen. Risa Hontiveros said she was “honored to have fought alongside Ka Edcel in pushing for pro-people legislation” such as the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law and the controversial bill on prevention of teenage pregnancy. 

“Working with him throughout the years has taught me that we are never really alone when we stand up and speak for what is right for our people and our nation,” Hontiveros said in a statement. 

She praised Lagman, citing his activism and his resistance to the dictatorship, as well as his advocacy for marginalized sectors “even when doing so was misunderstood and unpopular.”

Legacy as inspiration

Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, who is running as a party-list congressman in May, said he was also fortunate to work alongside Lagman in the “fight against the Anti-Terror Law and other human rights cases.”

“His legacy serves as an inspiration for us to persist in our pursuit of social justice and progress for all,” Diokno said on X.

On her Facebook and X accounts, the Liberal Party spokesperson and former senator Leila de Lima said Lagman “will be remembered as one of the nation’s most respected leaders and statesmen, tirelessly working for integrity in politics and competence in governance.”

The Liberal Party chair, Francis Pangilinan, himself seeking a return to the Senate, said Lagman’s “personal and political life had been a testament to the power of principled leadership and the enduring fight for the rights of every Filipino, especially the last, the least, and the lost.”

Posting on X, Pangilinan also mentioned the sacrifices of Lagman’s family, citing his brothers, the slain labor leaders Hermon and Popoy: These “remind us of the heavy price paid by his own loved ones and those who dare to fight in our nation’s struggles for a Philippines Filipinos deserve.”

The family of the late former presidents Corazon Aquino and Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III extended their condolences to Lagman’s loved ones. Lagman served in President Corazon Aquino’s Cabinet as undersecretary of the then Ministry of Budget and Management. 

On Noynoy Aquino’s FB account, the family shared a photograph of Lagman at Aquino’s signing of the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013, which was held in front of the Edsa Shrine in Mandaluyong City. “This photo…will remain a testament to [Lagman’s] unwavering dedication to tread the long yet straight path of protecting and defending his fellow Filipinos, ensuring they could live with dignity and honor,” the family said. 

Also on Facebook, Lila Shahani, the daughter of the late former senator Leticia Ramos-Shahani, shared photographs of her mother and Lagman taken at his Quezon City residence in 2013.

“It was a gathering of people who, all of their lives but each in a different way (to the best of their respective abilities), had done everything humanly possible to fight for the rights of others. Sadly, there are so few such Filipinos with us today,” Lila Shahani said.

Akbayan president Rafaela David said the party-list group was “fortunate” to have Lagman as an ally in advancing landmark laws including the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act, “which upheld justice for the victims of the Marcos dictatorship.”

“A true statesman, he staked his reputation on defending human rights and equality. At the height of Duterte’s bloody drug war, Rep. Edcel stood firm, calling out the atrocities of Duterte and his allies,” David said on Facebook, referring to former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Family’s thanks 

Posting on his Facebook account, Lagman’s family gave thanks for “all the kind words, prayers and outpouring of support for Papa from both friends and strangers.”

“This is truly appreciated during this difficult time for us,” they said. 

They announced that on Feb. 2, the lawmaker’s remains lying in state at the Mount Carmel Shrine in New Manila, Quezon City, will be brought to the family home in Bacacay, Albay. On Feb. 4, the remains will be transferred to the St. John Baptist Church in Tabaco City, and on Feb. 5 will be flown back to Metro Manila for a memorial service at the House of Representatives.

Lagman’s remains will again lie in state at the Mount Carmel Shrine on Feb. 6-9. Interment is set on Feb.10 at the Loyola Memorial Park Marikina after a 10:30 a.m. funeral mass at the Mount Carmel Shrine.