SENATOR MIRIAM DEFENSOR SANTIAGO

What makes her different from other contenders?

 She is considered the most intelligent Senator the Philippines has ever produced.
 She is very brilliant, very brave, and very honest.
 She is a knowledge vulture.
 She is the first Filipino and first Asian from a developing country to sit in the International Criminal Court that tries cases of
genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

Biography

Global Fame

She earned the degree, Doctor of Juridical Science, in the United States. Dr. Miriam Defensor Santiago is a globally famous personality,
because of her legal brilliance and courageous example in fighting corruption. In a nation where many public officials are charged with,
or suspected, of plunder, her honesty shines like a light in the darkness.

She has brought honor to the Philippines in several ways. She is the first Filipino and the first Asian from a developing country, to be
elected in the United Nations as judge of the International Criminal Court. The ICC hears cases against heads of state. Thus, she put
the Philippines on the global map in the 21st century. Unfortunately, grave illness forced her to waive the privilege of being an ICC
judge.

For two years, she suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome. In June 2014 she was diagnosed with lung cancer, stage 4 (the last stage).
But with her signature humor and bravery, she fought back, and her cancer has regressed. Even cancer cells are afraid of her!

She was chosen as laureate of the Magsaysay Award for Government Service, known as the Asian equivalent of the Nobel Prize. She
was cited “for bold and moral leadership in cleaning up a graft-ridden government agency.” She was named one of “The 100 Most
Powerful Women in the World” by The Australian magazine.

Academic Excellence

Dr. Santiago is one of the most intellectually brilliant leaders that our country has ever seen. She earned the degrees Bachelor of Arts,
magna cum laude; and Bachelor of Laws, cum laude, from the University of the Philippines. She went abroad and earned the graduate
degrees of Master of Laws, and Doctor of Juridical Science, from the University of Michigan, one of the top three law schools in the
United States. She finished the academic requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Religious Studies, at the Maryhill School of
Theology.

In U.P., the perfect grade is 1.0. In her last undergraduate semester, Dr. Santiago earned the near-perfect average grade of 1.1. And
she finished her 4-year course in only 3-1/2 years. At the University of Michigan, she was a Barbour Scholar and DeWitt Fellow. She
finished her master’s degree in only one year, and her doctorate in only six months.
Our guest speaker loves learning. She has done postdoctoral studies all over the world, including Oxford University, Cambridge
University, Harvard University, University of California at Berkeley, Stanford University, and Academy of Public International Law at
the Peace Palace (the seat of the International Court of Justice), at The Hague, Netherlands.

Dr. Santiago was class valedictorian at all levels – elementary, high school, and college. She made history in U.P. when she became the
first female editor-in-chief of the famous student newspaper, Philippine Collegian, thus shattering a 50-year old record of male
dominance. She won as Best Debater in the annual U.P. law debate, where she was captain of the winning team. It is interesting that
at the same time she held a campus beauty title, not once but twice – as ROTC corps sponsor.

Professional Excellence

Dr. Santiago holds an amazing record of excellence in all three branches of government – judicial, executive, and legislative. In the
judicial branch, she has been presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court at Quezon City. In the executive branch, she has been
immigration commissioner; and a cabinet member, as agrarian reform secretary. In the legislative branch, she has now been a senator
for three terms.

Dr. Santiago worked abroad. She served as legal officer of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. She also served as a consultant
of the Philippine embassy in Washington, D.C.

In all three branches of government, she has been showered with awards for being outstanding, making her the most awarded public
official in our country today. For example, she has received awards such as The Outstanding Young Men, or TOYM; The Outstanding
Women in the Nation’s Service, or TOWNS; and Most Outstanding Alumna in Law from U.P.

Dr. Santiago was a U.P. law professor for some 10 years, teaching evening class after office hours. She has written some 30 books,
many of which are very scholarly textbooks in law and the social sciences, well advanced of our time. During her initial battle with
cancer, she continued to work on the 2014 edition of all her law books. She is considered the leading expert of her generation in
constitutional law and in international law.

In the Philippine Senate where Dr. Santiago is on her third term, she has filed the highest number of bills, and authored some of the
most important laws. Some of her most important pending bills are: anti-dynasty bill; an act institutionalizing an age-appropriate
curriculum to prevent the abduction, exploitation, and sexual abuse of children; anti-epal bill; freedom of information bill; and magna
carta for Philippine internet freedom. She has been fearless in exposing and naming notorious criminal suspects in legislative
investigations, particularly in naming jueteng lords and illegal logging lords.

Unquestioned Honesty

It was Senator Santiago who in effect started the national plunder investigation (which is now a historic scandal). In December 2012
she revealed that the senate president had used Senate funds to give away cash gifts. Every senator received P2 million as a Christmas
gift, taken from public funds, except Senator Santiago and two others. That scandal led to the notorious pork barrel scandal, for which
the senate president is now suspended and in jail, having been charged with plunder by the Ombudsman.

COA records show that her “pork barrel,” also known as PDAF, was never marred by any kickback, unlike those of her colleagues in
Congress. In three separate cases, the Supreme Court had upheld the pork barrel system as constitutional. Sen. Santiago gave her
PDAF to: the University of the Philippines system; Philippine General Hospital; and local government units. She never released her
pork barrel to any NGO, particularly those headed by those guilty of plunder, which means wholesale stealing of public money by
accepting kickbacks, or simply pocketing the entire money.

After the impeachment of the Chief Justice in 2012, it was later revealed that Miriam was one of only three senators who refused to
receive the DAP, amounting to ₱50 million for every senator and ₱10 million for every congressman. It was also later revealed that
three senators even received ₱100 million each, after the impeachment.

When she was a student in U.P. law school, one magazine dubbed her “Supergirl at the State University.” She is probably the public
official whose face has graced the highest number of magazine covers. She has been featured by famous international publications,
including Time, the New York Times, and the Herald-Tribune.

In 1992, the foreign press reported that she had been elected as President of the Philippines after a nationwide election. However,
she was cheated. As the Filipinos say: “Miriam won in the voting, but lost in the counting.”
She is a renowned celebrity. Like a rock star, she attracts crowds everywhere. She is the most sought-after guest speaker of university
students. Sen. Santiago is a woman of destiny. She will be remembered in Philippine history as a genuine hero of her people.

She has been called the incorruptible lady, the platinum lady, the tiger lady, the dragon lady, the iron lady of Asia, the queen of
popularity polls, and the undisputed campus hero. But to her millions of fans, she is best known for the unique brand of charismatic
leadership that media likes to call “Miriam Magic.”

Achievements

1. Magsaysay Award for Government Service, 1988.

 The Ramon Magsaysay Award is given to persons - regardless of race, nationality, creed or gender - who address
issues of human development in Asia with courage and creativity, and in doing so have made contributions which
have transformed their societies for the better. The Award is given in six categories: government service; public
service; community leadership; journalism, literature and creative communication arts; peace and international
understanding; and emergent leadership.
2. TOWNS Award for Law, 1986 (The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service). – Philippine Lions
3. Most Outstanding Alumna in Law, University of the Philippines, 1988
4. Gold Vision Triangle Award for government service, 1988. – YMCA Philippines
5. Republic Anniversary Award for law enforcement, 1988. – Civic Assembly of Women of the Philippines

Sources

Gonzales, B. (2013, May 12). 10 Greatest Filipino Senators of all time. Retrieved July 7, 2015, from
https://happytimestoday.wordpress.com/test/part-1/7-miriam-defensor-santiago/

Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved July 7, 2015, from http://www.rmaf.org.ph/home.php?id=2&page=history

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago - Senate of the Philippines. (n.d.). Retrieved July 7, 2015, from
http://www.senate.gov.ph/senators/sen_bio/santiago_bio.asp

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago - Senate of the Philippines. (n.d.). Retrieved July 7, 2015, from
http://www.senate.gov.ph/senators/sen_bio/santiago_cvitae.asp