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Edcel Lagman, a veteran lawmaker and human rights advocate, dies at 82


Edcel Lagman, a veteran lawmaker and human rights advocate, dies at 82

Albay 1st district Representative Edcel Lagman passed away on Thursday at the age of 82, his daughter Tabaco City Mayor Krisel Lagman confirmed. 

The mayor said that her father died at 5:01 p.m. due to cardiac arrest. 

“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,” Krisel said in a statement. 

“He will be remembered and honored by his family, friends, and colleagues as a remarkable and generous father; a warm, thoughtful, and loving brother, uncle and lolo; a true and loyal friend; and an upright, principled, and unwavering advocate of human rights and the rule of law.” 

Krisel said that their father died surrounded by all his children, sisters, and family members. 

The late lawmaker is also the president of the Liberal Party (LP). 

His colleagues expressed their sympathies on his passing. 

“Ka Edcel’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,” said Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, a member of LP. 

“His absence leaves a great void, not just in Congress but in Philippine public service. On behalf of the House of Representatives, I extend my deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues in the Liberal Party,” said House Speaker Martin Romualdez. 

Awards

Lagman finished his Bachelor of Law degree at the University of the Philippines in 1966 after graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in 1962. 

In 2013, he received an Honoris Causa, Doctor of Humanities degree from the Bicol University.

He served as editor of the UP Law Register and managing editor of the Philippine Collegian. 

Lagman received accolades from various bodies such as the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development; the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development for his indispensable role in the enactment of a reproductive health law in the Philippines; and the International EXCELL Award for Excellence in Leadership for Family Planning.

He was also a Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) Awardee in 1999; Golden Scroll Awardee for Public Service in 2000; Mamamayan Ayaw sa Droga Awardee in 2000; and PARC Awardee on the 20th Anniversary of CARP in 2008.

Human rights defender

Lagman grew up in Tabaco, Albay with his brothers, Hermon and Filemon. 

When Martial Law was declared in 1972, Edcel and Hermon, a labor lawyer, stood at the forefront of protecting workers’ rights and fighting the dictatorship. 

Filemon dropped out of college to join the revolutionary underground, according to a profile of Lagman written for Voice, published by the Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances.

In May 1997, Hermon was abducted by alleged military operatives and has not surfaced since then.

The Lagmans were dealt another blow when Filemon, who became a labor leader, was gunned down at the University of the Philippines in Diliman in February 2001.

‘Rock star’

Lagman’s first foray into government was as undersecretary of the Department of Budget and Management in 1986 when he was appointed by then President Corazon Aquino.

In 1987, he won a seat in the House of Representatives as representative of the first district of Albay – a position he held for 11 straight years (8th, 9th, 10th Congress). During this time, he became chairperson of committee on agrarian reform and senior deputy minority leader.

He returned to the House in the 13th, 14th and 15th Congress as minority leader this time.

In the 17th Congress, he led the Magnificent 7 opposition bloc, which he said was the “only authentic, credible, and constructive opposition in the House of Representatives” that time.

Lagman also served as honorary chairman of the Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance and chairman emeritus of the Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development.

Some of the laws that Lagman authored are Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law (Republic Act No. 10354);  Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (R.A. 6657) and Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (R.A. 9700); Compensation to Martial Law Victims (R.A. No. 10368); Criminalization of Enforced Disappearance (R.A. No. 10353); Anti-Torture Act (R.A. No. 9745); Free High School Education Act (R.A. No. 6655); Cheaper Medicines Act (R.A. No. 9502); Increased Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) to Local Government Units (R.A. No. 7160); and Centenarian Act of 2016 granting additional benefits and privileges to Filipino Centenarians (R.A. No. 10868), among other vital legislation.

In her column in 2017, health advocate Elizabeth Angsioco described Lagman as “a rock star among human rights advocates. He is one of those I know who are truly pro-poor and pro-people.”

“Lagman is a credit to the Lower House. He kept his words choice, he stuck to reason and veered the debates away from the gutter. That deserves respect,” said editor Jo-Ann Maglipon in her column in 1997.

Former president Fidel V. Ramos in a speech in 2009 called him the “Lion in Congress for the Reproductive Health Bill.” —Vince Angelo Ferreras/LDF/KG, GMA Integrated News