Manila, Jan. 30 -- Albay 1st District Representative Edcel Lagman passed away on Thursday afternoon at the age of 82, his family confirmed.

"It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved father," Tabaco City Mayor Krisel Lagman said in a statement. "He came into this world on 01 May 1942 and left it for a better place on 30 January 2025 at exactly 5:01 in the afternoon due to cardiac arrest."

Lagman, a longtime advocate for human rights and the rule of law, will be remembered for his "integrity, compassion, and fearlessness."

"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 ...