The feisty former senator Miriam Defensor Santiago died in her sleep on Thu morning, Sep 29. The news was confirmed by her husband, Atty. Jun Santiago. She was 71.
Born in Iloilo City on Jun 15, 1945, the controversial Miriam was known for her stellar academic achievement and frighteningly excellent command of the English language.
She was a celebrated government official and much-admired lawmaker. A presidential contender in the May 2016 polls, she had battled lung cancer all thoughout the campaign period. It had been her third time to run for president. The man who eventually won the presidential race, Rodrigo Duterte, was especially chivalrous to Miriam. At one point, Duterte had remarked, “I am facing a woman who could become the president of this country.”
Miriam, though, drew flak when she chose Sen. Bongbong Marcos as her running mate.
Miriam first ran for president in 1992 but lost to former president Fidel V. Ramos. In 1998, she lost to Joseph “Erap” Estrada. Despite losing thrice in the presidential race, many pundits tagged Santiago as “the greatest president the country never had.”
While many hoped for Miriam’s full recovery, Miriam was visibly weak in her last few public appearances. The former senator was reportedly confined at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Bonifacio Global City when she died.
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