Deputy Speaker and Batangas 6th district Rep. Ralph Recto is mourning the death of his brother, former Batangas vice governor Ricky Recto.
"With sadness, we share the news that our brother Ricky has passed away," Rep. Recto said in a statement sent to House of Representatives reporters on Tuesday morning, Dec. 6.
"Words are hard to come by to express the sorrow of losing him, but we take comfort in our fond memories of him to overcome the pain we feel," he said.
"We are touched by your kind words and prayers, but in the meantime, we ask for the time and space to grieve in private," the House leader added.
"But we do recognize that Ricky had served as a national athlete and as an elected official, so a simple memorial is being discussed, the details of which may be announced soon," the Batangas congressman further said.
He didn't mention any details about his brother's cause of death.