Miriam Santiago passes away at 71
Former senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Thursday died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 71. Santiago's husband, lawyer Narciso "Jun" Santiago, confirmed the veteran politician passed away peacefully on Thursday morning. Miriam's staff would later provide more details saying she died at 8:52 a.m.
Santiago's former colleague, Senator Grace Poe, meanwhile, announced her passing during a Senate hearing on the Freedom of Information bill, which Santiago supported during her tenure. Poe offered a moment of silence and prayer for her former colleague.
Santiago was diagnosed with latestage lung cancer in 2014 but declared she had beaten the illness a year after. She then pursued her presidential bid despite doubts cast on her health. She lost to President Rodrigo Duterte in the May elections earlier this year.
During the last stretch of her tenure as a senator, Miriam filed an indefinite leave from the Senate due to her health. She was hospitalized last May 30 due to lung complications.
The former senator celebrated her 71st birthday last June 15.
Santiago was one of the most endearing figures in Philippine politics, pop culture and academia. For some, she could be among the best presidents the Philippines never had, after having ran for government's top post three times and lost.
She was first elected senator in 1995. In 1997, former president Fidel Ramos initiated a people's campaign for an infinite presidential term which Santiago criticized and went to court over. She won and preserved the people's mandate for term limits.
She was again elected senator in 2004 and in 2010. During these two terms at the Senate, she served as chairwoman mostly of the foreign relations committee and the constitutional amendments committee.
Santiago, whose fiery, colorful language - especially against corruption - had endeared her to millions of young voters despite her age, had the distinction of serving in three branches of government: a judge during the Martial Law years, she was appointed to Executive positions after the EDSA revolution, and then began her career as a senator in 1995.
In 2011, she became the first Filipino to become a judge at the International Criminal Court, but she never took the post as she was diagnosed with lung cancer.
Santiago first made waves as an Immigration chief under then president Corazon Aquino.
Santiago was born in 1945 in Iloilo City. She obtained her law degree from the University of the Philippines, and earned her Master of Laws degree and Doctor of Juridical Science from the University of Michigan Law School.