This is part of Coconuts Manila’s quickie thinkpiece series on the presidentiables.
Win or lose, Senator Miriam Santiago has already made her mark in Philippine history.
A certified intellectual giant, Santiago is known for her killer diatribes against those who have done the country wrong.
In 1992, when Santiago first ran for President, she was tagged as the one who would shake up the system and finally institute much-needed reforms. Alas, she lost in that presidential race due to alleged election anomalies that her supporters blamed on the-administration bet Fidel V. Ramos.
In 1998, Santaigo again ran for President, only to be defeated by the hugely popular then-Vice President Joseph “Erap” Estrada.
In the end, Santiago settled into the Senate, where she continued to craft laws and rage against the stupidity perpetauated by other politicians.
Her fiery energy made everyone believe that Santiago was invincible. However, in 2014, Santiago announced that she was battling lung cancer. Despite this, she soldiered on and later recovered enough to go back to the Senate.
Then, she announced that she was running for President for the third time.
Though she is not the frontrunner in this presidential race, Santiago has undoubtedly won the hearts of the youth and even her own peers.
With her cancer pruportedly in remission, Santiago is still undergoing treatment. This has taken a toll on her health. But her mind is still as sharp as ever.
Throughout her complicated political history, Santiago’s supporters have always been certain that she was the smartest of them all. Early on she said, ““I am not going to be coy. Society leaders have have urged me to seek the presidency. I can rise to the occasion.”
And rise to the occasion she has despite her health issues. Because if there’s anyone who can will herself to fighting form, it would be her.
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