Former Senator Miriam Santiago dies at 71
Miriam Defensor Santiago passed away on Thursday morning at the age of 71, according to her husband Atty. Narciso ‘Jun’ Santiago.
“She died this morning in her sleep, she was unconscious when she passed away,” Jun Santiago said in a statement.
He confirmed that the former senator died at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City where she was being treated of her ailment.
Miriam Santiago was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer last 2014.
Senator Grace Poe affirmed Santiago’s death during the hearing on the Freedom of Information bill. Poe offered a short prayer for the late senator.
The Iron Lady of Asia
Defensor-Santiagio is notable for having served all the three branches of the government—legislative, executive and judicial. She was a senator for three terms, immigration commissioner, agrarian reform secretary and former judge of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court.
Known for her feisty and fierce character, the late senator earned the title “Iron Lady of Asia” and won several noble awards such as Magsaysay Award for Government Service in 1988 and The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Award for Law in 1985.
She had filed the most number of bills in the senate. Most of the notable bills she passed covered Human Rights, Governance, Youth and Women, Health and Safety and Education.
Defensor-Santiago authored or sponsored different prominent bills passed into law such as Access Devices Regulation Act, Agricultural Modernization Act, Automated Election System Act, Domestic Adoption Act, Downstream Oil Deregulation Act, Indigenous Peoples' Act of 1996, Anti-Rape Law of 1997, Seatbelt Law, Intellectual Property Code and Banning right-hand steering.
Several of Santiago’s pending bills are the Anty-Political Dynasty Bill and the Anti-Signage of Public Works Bill.
Santiago also published 23 books as a lawyer which includes the Code Annotated Series and Basic Textbook Series.
A leader the country never had
Miriam Santiago ran in the 1992 presidential race against Fidel V. Ramos and was lost by only a small number of votes. She ran for the second time during the 1998 election but was landed in 8th place out of 10 persons who participated the presidency. Joseph Estrada won the said election by a wide margin.
Despite of health issues, Defensor-Santiago announced that she will run as a president for the third time during her book launch of “Stupid is Forevermore”.
Throughout the campaign for the 2016 national elections, Santiago repeatedly dismiss questions about her lung cancer saying that she was already cured.
The late senator lost the 2016 presidential race earning only 3% of the votes nationwide.###
