Former Batangas vice governor Ricky Recto has passed away at the age of 59, his younger brother former senator and now Batangas 6th District Rep. Ralph Recto announced on Tuesday morning.

“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,” Ralph said in a statement shared on his Facebook page.

On behalf of his family, he appealed to give them time and space to mourn in private.

“But we do recognize that Ricky had served as a national athlete and as an election official, so a simple memorial is being discussed, the details of which may be announced soon,” the Batangas Congressman said.

“We are touched by your kind words and prayers,” he said.

However, Ralph did not disclose the cause of death of Ricky.

Ricky is the eldest son of former Batangas board member and assemblyman Rafael 'Raffy' Recto who died in 2008.

During the May 2022 local and national elections, Ricky ran for the governor position in Batangas but withdrew his candidacy at the last minute.