Dubai: Filipinos in the UAE are mourning the passing away of former presidential aspirant and Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who, some said, was the “best president the country never had”.
Santiago, known as Asia’s Iron Lady for her strong-willed determination to curb graft and corruption, died on Thursday after battling stage 4 lung cancer. She was 71.
The seasoned senator dedicated most of her life to public service, including serving 18 years in the senate, and working as Agrarian Reform Secretary and Immigration and Deportation Commissioner.
In 2011, she became the first Filipino to be elected as judge of the International Criminal Court. She waived the post, however, after being diagnosed with cancer in 2014.
She returned to work in the Philippine Senate after taking what she called was a “miracle pill” that “cured” her of her illness. She then announced her decision to run for the presidency for the third time.
Santiago ran for president in 1992 and 1998 but performed poorly in the polls.
But in the May 2016 presidential elections, although she got the last spot in the Philippines, Santiago garnered the second highest votes in the UAE, next to incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte.
“I agree with most people that Senator Miriam is the best president the country never had,” Julius Borines, 30, a senior training specialist who “proudly voted” for Santiago in the May polls, told Gulf News.
“If she had won in the 1992 or 1998 elections, or even in the 2016 elections if she’s still physically able, I think she would have done a really good job because of her track record and iron resolve.”
Nhel Morona, a migrant rights advocate, said Santiago was among few government officials who did not kowtow to anybody.
“We laud her for her stand against the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement and Visiting Forces Agreement between the Philippines and the US. She fiercely fought against US intervention and fought to invalidate these agreements that trampled on the Philippines’ sovereignty,” Morona said.
Morona said Santiago was among those who supported his group’s proposed bill against the privatisation of public hospitals. She was also a front-runner in pushing for the creation of the Magna Carta for the protection of women, children and families.
For Philippine Consul-General Paul Raymund Cortes, Santiago was a public servant who lived her words. She inspired many to become public servants as it is rewarding to be in the service of the people.
“She was an excellent academic, teaching us that public servants owe it to the people and the community to be in their most excellent form,” Cortes said.
“She was Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee in the Philippine Senate and in her capacity, oversaw and monitored the rise in the ranks of career foreign service officials such as myself and ensure that we are at our best when representing our motherland and our people. Anything less than great is unacceptable,” he added.
