Miriam Defensor Santiago

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Miriam Defensor-Santiago
Incumbent
Assumed office 
June 30,2004
Senator of the Philippines
In office
1995 – 2001
Secretary of Agrarian Reform
In office
1989 – 1991
Commissioner of Immigration and Deportation
In office
1988 – 1989
Quezon City Regional Trial Court Judge
In office
1983 – 1987
Born June 15, 1945 (1945-06-15) (age 64)
Iloilo City, Philippines
Nationality Filipino
Political party People's Reform Party (1992-present)
Spouse(s) Narciso Y. Santiago, Jr.
Residence Quezon City
Occupation Lawyer; Politician
Profession Lawyer; Politician
Religion Roman Catholic
Website www.senateofthephilippines.com

Miriam Defensor-Santiago (born Miriam Palma Defensor on June 15, 1945) is a Filipina lawyer, politician, and a Senator of the Philippines, with a focus on Constitutional Law. She is the founder and current leader of the People's Reform Party as well as its former presidential candidate.

Contents

[edit] Early life and education

Santiago was born in Iloilo City, Iloilo to District Judge Benjamin A. Defensor and Dimpna Palma Defensor. In her youth, she graduated as class valedictorian in both elementary and high school levels. She completed her secondary education at Iloilo High School (now Iloilo National High School).[1]

Despite a three-month bout with illness, Santiago attended the University of the Philippines in Diliman. There she continued to participate in numerous oratorical, public speaking, and debate contests. She became the first female editor-in-chief of the university's student newspaper, The Philippine Collegian and was twice made Corps Sponsor of the Reserve Officer Training Corps.[2]Her classmates include the likes of former Senate President Franklin Drilon, San Juan Representative Ronaldo Zamora, and Eli Pamatong.

In 1965, Santiago graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. It took her only three and a half years to complete her degree. Upon graduation, she was elected to the Pi Gamma Mu and Phi Kappa Phi international honor societies.[1]

Miriam took the 1969 Bar Exams and barely passed with a 78% Bar rating.[3][4] Santiago decided to teach Political Science to undergraduates at Trinity College of Quezon City.[3]

She then attended the University of Michigan Law School from 1974 to 1976, earning the degrees of Master of Laws and Juris Doctor.[3]

Santiago continued enrolling in short courses, attending seminars and participating in conferences locally and abroad. In 1995, at the age of fifty, she completed the academic requirements for a Master of Arts in Religious Studies at the Maryhill School of Theology with an average grade of 1.25.[2] In 1996, at the age of fifty-one, she attended the Summer Program of Instruction for Lawyers at Harvard Law School. In 1997, at age fifty-two, she attended the Summer Program in Law at Oxford University.

After she lost in the Senate race of 2001, she worked on updating her self-published law and political science textbooks, which were later released in 2002.[5]

In 1986, Santiago was recognized as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Professionals of the Philippine Junior Chamber of Commerce. In 1988, she sought and won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service, which claims to be the Philippine equivalent of the Nobel Prize.[6]

In 1996, The Australian Magazine ranked Santiago 69th among "The 100 Most Powerful Women in the World", sharing the honor with former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos who ranked 58th.[7]

[edit] Private career

Santiago was a professor of political science in Trinity College of Quezon City from 1971 to 1974 and concurrently Special Assistant to the Secretary of Justice from 1970 to 1980. She was also a member of the Board of Censors for Motion Pictures from 1977 to 1979. She served as a legal officer of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva, Switzerland from 1979 to 1980. She was also a legal consultant of the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C. in 1982. She was appointed as a Regional Trial Court Judge from 1983 to 1987. She taught Law at the University of the Philippines from 1976 to 1988.[3] From 1992 to 1995 and from 2001 to 2004, she has lectured at the University of Santo Tomas, De La Salle University, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, and the University of Perpetual Help Rizal.[8]

[edit] Political life

Santiago was appointed by President Corazon Aquino as Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation in 1988. She served in that capacity until 1989. She was Secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform from 1989 to 1991.In her tenure as Commisioner of Immigration,she cleanses it and launched an anti-corruption crusades.When a congressman delivered a priveleged speech against her for conducting a raid involving the arrest of foreign pedophiles occupying a village in his district,Miriam labeled him as a "Fungus Face".But finally the recognition of her dangerous work came,she earned the Ramon Magsaysay Award for government service.

After President Corazon Aquino declared her intention not to seek another term in the 1992 elections, Santiago ran for president, seeking Aquino's endorsement. She founded the People's Reform Party as her vehicle. She invited Ramon Magsaysay, Jr. to be her running mate. The party did not have any other candidates at the national level and endorsed only local candidates Alfredo Lim and Lito Atienza for the position of mayor and vice mayor of Manila. Aquino decided instead to back her then-Defense Secretary Fidel V. Ramos in his bid for the presidency.

Following a string of power outages,she led the canvass of votes for five days,but it appeares that massive cheating was carried out in the presidential level,and the tabulation concluded and Ramos was declared the winner. Santiago filed a protest before the Supreme Court acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, claiming massive electoral fraud and citing the power outages as evidence.A group of men and women,in military uniforms,stormed Miriam's house and tied all the households and they dissaranged Miriam's clothes in dresser and cabinet,to appear it as robbery.But the real intention was to keep her silent about the electoral protest .Her protest was eventually dismissed.

[edit] Senator

Santiago ran for the Senate of the Philippines in 1995 elections, again as a candidate of her own People's Reform Party. She was elected to the senate and served as a senator from 1995 to 2001. As a Senator, Santiago became a vocal critic of the Ramos Administration.And was named as "Most Outstanding Senator" several times.She was among the topnotchers for the number of bills filed,and she is most impressive in Senate debates with her meticulous preparations.

Santiago again ran for president in the 1998 elections and invited fellow Senator Francisco Tatad to be her running mate. Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino candidate Joseph Ejercito Estrada won the election and became president, though Santiago again made claims of electoral fraud. After the election, Santiago returned to the Senate.

During President Estrada's impeachment trial Santiago was one of eleven senators who voted against opening a bank envelope that purportedly contained damning evidence of President Estrada's guilt. The vote ended the impeachment trial which led to the Second People Power Revolution which removed Estrada from office.

Santiago ran unsuccessfully for reelection in the 2001 elections.

Three years later, in the 2004 elections, Santiago ran again for senator, this time joining President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's K4 coalition and won. She currently holds the position of chairperson and lone member of the People's Reform Party.

[edit] Candidate for Judicial Positions

Santiago announced her intentions to apply as one of the possible candidates to fill the post of Supreme Court Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban upon his retirement in December 2006. Ultimately, the Judicial and Bar Council removed Santiago from the shortlist of candidates for the position.[9] The Supreme Court gave her zero votes, while the Judicial and Bar Council, gave her only one vote. "[10] Santiago questioned the qualifications of Panganiban and labeled the Supreme Court an "old boy's club".[11]

The shortlisting came after all the nominees, save for Santiago, boycotted a public interview held by the Judicial Bar Council that aimed to improve the institution's transparency.[12]

On July 30, 2007, President Arroyo nominated Santiago to the International Court of Justice. Asia was entitled to a seat upon the expiration of Jordan’s term in 2009. Following the principle of geographical balance, membership of the court is distributed among the principal global regions thus: three in Africa, two in Latin America, three in Asia, five from Western Europe (including United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand), and two in Eastern Europe (including Russia). [1] The senator was recommended by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo by a nominating committee composed of a current and a retired Supreme Court associate justice, the president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and a law school dean.

Santiago's bid for a seat on the ICJ was met with both domestic and international resistance. She failed to get the Supreme Court's endorsement but was formally nominated by a group she had formed for the international campaign. She needs an absolute majority votes from the UN General Assembly and the Security Council which will vote separately, before winning the seat.[10] Santiago, however, denounced the report stating that the Lopez family attempted to blackmail her because she is a strong advocate of reduced power rates.

According to Santiago, the claim that Japan and China were moving to oppose her was “purely baseless conjecture”. She said that ambassadors of both countries were hoping for positive instructions from their respective ministers on the matter. [13]

Santiago, a former editor-in-chief of The Philippine Collegian and columnist for several newspapers, asserted that she could recognize a negative spin when she sees it. [13]

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales said that Santiago’s credentials “is equal to any associate justice in the Supreme Court and […] also for the ICJ.”[14] The website editor, however, denies Miriam’s allegations.

Santiago announced that she might run for president in the Philippine general election, 2010, if she is not elected in the ICJ.[15]

[edit] Public Statements

On July 10, 2007, Santiago said that an acquittal of her former ally, ousted President Estrada will consequently cast doubts on the legitimacy of President Arroyo’s assumption into office. She advised that only a conviction will be to the best interest of Mrs. Arroyo: “If President Estrada is acquitted now, we will have a dilemma: What then is the status of President Arroyo? Two, if he is acquitted, the conclusion can only be that there was no plunder and therefore there was no basis to remove him from office. What then is the basis of President Arroyo in the elections (in 2004) that followed after she was installed (in 2001)? That in itself will create another legal dilemma,”.[16]

[edit] Criticism of Santiago

Studies made by some independent research groups yielded the names of Santiago’s fellow majority bloc members, Senators Joker Arroyo, Edgardo Angara and Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. as among the so-called top spenders in the last elections.[17]

Santiago on September 27, 2007, apologized for saying "China invented civilization in the East, but as well it invented corruption for all of human civilization."[18][19]

[edit] Personal life

 This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (October 2008)
(Find sources: Miriam Defensor Santiago – news, books, scholar)

Santiago is married to Narciso Yap Santiago Jr., her former classmate at the University of the Philippines. Narcisco was once an undersecretary for Interior and Local Governments, and is currently a presidential adviser for revenue enhancement. He is also a businessman.

Santiago's brother, Benjamin Jr., is a retired general who served as Philippine Air Force commander and Armed Forces Chief of Staff. He is currently an ambassador-at-large for counter-terrorism. Two of her cousins are congressmen. Matias Defensor represents the third district of Quezon City, where Santiago resides, and Arthur Defensor represents the third district of Iloilo, Santiago's hometown. Santiago's nephew, Michael Defensor, is a former presidential chief of staff who ran and lost in a Senate seat in the 2007 elections.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Official Biography at http://miriam.com.ph/resume1.html last accessed May 14, 2007.
  2. ^ a b Official Biography at http://miriam.com.ph/resume1 last accessed May 14, 2007.
  3. ^ a b c d "Presidential Profiles: Miriam Defensor Santiago." Probe Team Documentaries. GMA-7. March–April 1998.
  4. ^ Official Records of the Supreme Court Bar Examinations Committee, Office of the Bar Confidant, Supreme Court of the Philippines, 1969.
  5. ^ Official Publications List, Central Book Store, 2002.
  6. ^ Biography of Miriam Defensor Santiago, The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. Retrieved December 7, 2006.
  7. ^ http:// wisdom.psinet.au/~lani/100mpw.html
  8. ^ Actual university tours by Dr. Miriam Defensor Santiago from 2001 to 2004.
  9. ^ Shortlist of candidates announced, ABS-CBN Interactive. Retrieved December 7, 2006.
  10. ^ a b www.abs-cbnnews, RP faces tough challenge in ICJ campaign for Santiago
  11. ^ Labog-Javellana, Juliet, Santiago slams JBC, SC after being dropped from shortlist, Inquirer, December 4, 2006. Retrieved December 7, 2006.
  12. ^ Nocum, Armand and Labog-Javellana, Juliet, Senator Santiago waives Supreme Court ‘job interview’, Inquirer, November 30, 2006. Retrieved December 7, 2006.
  13. ^ a b Miriam cries 'blackmail': She says enemies using ABS-CBN to hit back at her
  14. ^ [http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/may/27/yehey/metro/20080527met4.html Gonzales rallies for Santiago’s ICJ bid]
  15. ^ newsinfo.inquirer.net, Sen Santiago running for president to ‘terrorize’ foes
  16. ^ Rosales, Angie M., Miriam: Erap conviction for GMA’s political good, The Daily Tribune, July 11, 2007. Retrieved July 11, 2007.
  17. ^ Rosales, Angie M., Some winning senators ‘paid their way to office’ — Miriam, The Daily Tribune, July 11, 2007. Retrieved July 11, 2007.
  18. ^ sunstar.com.ph, Senator apologizes for saying China ‘invented corruption’
  19. ^ newsinfo.inquirer.net, Santiago officially apologizes to Chinese embassy

[edit] Published works

  • Santiago, Miriam D. (1991). Inventing Myself. Narsan Publishing. 
  • Santiago, Miriam D.. How to Fight Graft and Corruption. Movers. 
  • Santiago, Miriam D. (1993). How to Fight Election Fraud. Narsan Publishing. 
  • Santiago, Miriam D. (1993). Cutting Edge: The Politics of Reform in the Philippines. Narsan Publishing. 
  • Santiago, Miriam D. (1994). The Miriam Defensor Santiago Dictionary. Narsan publishing. 
  • Santiago, Miriam D. (2002). Politics and Governance. Central Law Book Publishing. 
  • Santiago, Miriam D. (2002). International Relations. Central Law Book Publishing. 
  • Santiago, Miriam D. (2003). History of Philosophy. Central Professional Books, Inc.. 
  • Santiago, Miriam D. (2003). Political Philosophy: Theory and Current Issues in Politics. Central Professional Books, Inc.. 
  • Santiago, Miriam D. (2003). Philosophy of Religion: Western and Eastern Religions. Central Professional Books, Inc.. 
  • Santiago, Miriam D. (1997). Where Angel Fear to Tread: Politics and Religion. Narsan Publishing. 
  • Santiago, Miriam D. (1997). At the Turn of the Century: National Policy Issues in the Philippines. Narsan Publishing. 
  • Santiago, Miriam D. (2002). Constitutional Law Annotated. Central Law Book Publishing. 
  • Santiago, Miriam D. (1999). International Law, with Philippine Cases and Materials, and ASEAN Instruments. Cental Professional Books. 

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Senators of the 14th Congress of the Philippines
Term ends June 30, 2010
Biazon · Lapid · Estrada · P. Cayetano · Santiago · Gordon · Madrigal · Pimentel · Ponce Enrile · Revilla · Roxas · Vacant
Term ends June 30, 2013
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miriam_Defensor_Santiago"