President Miriam
A portrait of the Senator as a Filipina
She might have been ‘the best President we never had,’ but while she was ours, even in her imperfection, Santiago was the very Filipino this country deserved.
I n her lifetime, it seemed that Miriam Defensor- Santiago was hardly ever referred to, quite plainly, as a woman. She was always a judge; a lawmaker; a liberal thinker; a highly educated, quick- witted, and engaging character spotted hurling amusing one- liners in the midst of the most serious situations. Certainly, Santiago was also a mother, a grandmother, and a wife, but she never made a display of her family for the sake of popular favor, and she seemed to play those roles without fanfare or expecting much recognition in return.
Where many female politicians face a certain amount of scrutiny for their appearance, if any criticism was made towards Santiago, it simply did not land. One of her most famous quotes was: “When someone told me, ‘ Ang ganda mo,’ I told her, ‘ Sana ikaw rin.’” (“When someone told me, ‘you’re so beautiful,’ I told her, ‘I wish you were too.’”) Make no mistake, Santiago was certainly pleasant to look at, but she also had so many stunning attributes that to focus on looks seemed shallow and a waste of time. After all, she was not just brains and book smarts; she was a living, breathing force to be reckoned with.
In her career, Santiago was the first judge to ever rule against martial law, she is recognized to have authored more laws than anyone else in Philippine history, she was the first in Asia to have been selected for the International Criminal Court, she was one of the few who argued for higher educational attainment for those holding high-ranking government positions, she stood by the LGBT community, and she was an advocate for better internet, better transportation, better urban planning, and improving the justice system. Santiago was known for her passionate pursuit of a cleaner, incorruptible, and effective government, fighting despite the years of being railroaded by administration after administration. She was known to be headstrong, brilliant, uncompromising, and unwaveringly fierce.
PRESIDENTIAL RUN
When Santiago ran for the highest office in the land in 2016, a third attempt on her part, she was by miles the most qualified but also the one with the most limited draw. And it seemed that the point of her running was not entirely to win, but with an increasingly more finite lifespan, to draw attention to the causes that Santiago deemed most important. Santiago had a love for the youth sector, the likes of which had never been seen with any lawmaker. She interacted with them. She made every speech an opportunity to teach them about public accountability, the importance of academics, guarding the vote, making responsible choices, and shedding light on the power that they held as the present key to holders of the future. Santiago wasn’t just a Senator to so many Philippine youth, she was a sage and a friend.
Following her passing, Miriam Defensor- Santiago is recognized as more than a woman of great achievement, but rather importantly, as a singular individual whom the Philippines is proud and privileged to have had in its service. The distinction is important, because Santiago was not a living debate of her sexuality nor her measure of attractiveness. She instead, with every accomplishment and with the very tenacity of her nature, is living proof that there is more to the portrait of a woman than the length of her legs.
We live in uncertain times where chauvinism has taken a comfortable seat back at the head of the table, where women are constantly told what they should look like or how they should think or where their place is. And it’s times like these when it’s important to remember what a powerful, principled woman looks like — particularly when she is someone who doesn’t take crap from anybody.
‘STUPID IS FOREVERMORE’
What’s funny about all this is that in her book, Stupid is Forevermore, Santiago says, “I have no illusions about myself, about my life, about leaving a legacy, or making a mark in people’s lives. We are so insignificant. We are only here for a blink.” She further underscores this in an election profile published by CNN Philippines in May 2016. “I want to be remembered only in the memories of my own family. That I was a caring grandmother, that I was always equitable, that I was always reasonable, that I was always supportive, no matter what happened.”
And yet, without even really trying, Santiago leaves behind not only a clear legacy fighting for justice and truth but also beloved contributions to local pop culture by way of a neverending string of zingers. Santiago leaves behind something incredibly valuable for every Filipina who’s been told that she must be docile, conservative, and a perfect fit for an outdated mold. And it is this: the very visual, the tangible and concrete proof that when a woman decides, that when she places value on truth and dignity, there is no telling the breadth or height of what a woman can accomplish. Her influence and achievements will undoubtedly be heralded and remembered, but it is this contribution that will bring about new life and will serve as a beacon of hope in this era of persistent misogyny.
Indeed, she might have been “the best President we never had,” but while she was ours, even in her imperfection, Santiago was the very Filipino this country deserved. She was our caballera, she was our icon, and she will forever be our home girl. And as much as we would love to say “rest in peace,” we’re fairly sure that wherever Miriam Santiago lands, sparks and fireworks are sure to follow.
It must be said that you will be deeply missed, Madame Senator. We are a nation now destined to live with a Miriam-shaped hole in all of us, but to have had you for a while, we are forever grateful.
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