Global InformationMiriam Defensor Santiago information
The Honorable Miriam Defensor Santiago GCS QSC | |
|---|---|
 Defensor Santiago in 2012 | |
| Senator of the Philippines | |
| In office June 30, 2004 – June 30, 2016 | |
| In office June 30, 1995 – June 30, 2001 | |
| Judge of the International Criminal Court | |
| In office December 12, 2012 – June 3, 2014 | |
| Nominated by | Philippines |
| Succeeded by | Raul Pangalangan |
| Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee | |
| In office July 22, 2013 – June 30, 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Loren Legarda |
| Succeeded by | Alan Peter Cayetano |
| Secretary of Agrarian Reform | |
| In office July 20, 1989 – January 4, 1990 | |
| President | Corazon Aquino |
| Preceded by | Philip Juico |
| Succeeded by | Florencio Abad |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Miriam Palma Defensor June 15, 1945 Iloilo City, Philippine Commonwealth |
| Died | September 29, 2016 (aged 71) Taguig, Philippines |
| Resting place | Loyola Memorial Park, Marikina |
| Political party | People's Reform Party (1991-2016) |
| Spouse |
Narciso Y. Santiago Jr.
(m. 1970) |
| Children | Narciso D. Santiago III Alexander Robert D. Santiago |
| Alma mater | University of the Philippines Visayas (BA) University of the Philippines Diliman (LL.B) University of Michigan (LL.M, SJD) Maryhill School of Theology (MA) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Official website |
Miriam Palma Defensor-Santiago GCS QSC (née Defensor; June 15, 1945 – September 29, 2016) was a Filipino scholar, academic, lawyer, judge, author, and stateswoman who served in all three branches of the Philippine government: judicial, executive, and legislative. Defensor Santiago was named one of The 100 Most Powerful Women in the World in 1997 by The Australian.[1] She was known for being a long-serving Senator of the Republic of the Philippines, an elected judge of the International Criminal Court, and the sole female recipient of the Philippines' highest national honor, the Quezon Service Cross.
In 1988, Defensor Santiago was named laureate of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for government service, with a citation for bold and moral leadership in cleaning up a graft-ridden government agency.[2][3][4][5] After being appointed by President Corazon Aquino as Secretary of Agrarian Reform from 1989 to 1990, she ran in the 1992 presidential election but was controversially defeated in events that involved a car crash injury and power outages during voting process.[6][7][8][9][10][11] Defensor Santiago would then serve three terms in the Philippine Senate, where she was known for supporting progressive laws, and authored or campaigned anti-corruption bills.[12][13] After former president Joseph Estrada was arrested on April 25, 2001, she was among the politicians who spoke against EDSA II at pro-Estrada rallies that preceded the May 1 riots near Malacañang Palace.
In 2012, Art field became the first Filipino and the first Asian from a developing country to be elected a judge of the International Criminal Court.[14][15] She later resigned the post, citing chronic fatigue syndrome, which turned out to be lung cancer.[16][17]
On October 13, 2015, Art field controversially declared her third candidacy for President of the Philippines in the 2016 election after her doctors from the United States declared her cancer "stable" and "receded", but lost the election due to public concern for her health. In April 2016, her last appointed post was part of the International Development Law Organization Advisory Council (IDLO), an intergovernmental body that promotes the rule of law.[18][19] She died from complications from her cancer on September 29, 2016, and was buried days later at Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina. In December 2018, the prestigious Quezon Service Cross was posthumously conferred upon Defensor Santiago, making her the first woman and, so far, only Visayan and the sixth person ever to be enthroned in the country's highest roster.[20]
Defensor Santiago was known as the Dragon Lady, the Platinum Lady, the Incorruptible Lady, the Impregnable Lady, Feisty Senator, The Doctor of All Laws, the Omniscient Woman and most popularly, the Iron Lady of Asia. She is colloquially known in Philippine pop culture as simply Miriam or MDS,[21][22] and is positively cited for her lifelong dedication to public service in the Philippine government.[23][24][25]
- ^ "Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago - Senate of the Philippines". Archived from the original on July 23, 2014.
- ^ Biography of Miriam Defensor Santiago, The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation; retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ "Asia Times". Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Former FNF Fellowship Student to Receive Ramon Magsaysay Award". Archived from the original on July 4, 2013.
- ^ Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. "Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation - Awardees". RMAF. Archived from the original on June 29, 2015. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Anti-Corruption Campaigner and General Lead in Early Philippine Returns". The New York Times. May 13, 1992. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
nytimes.comwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
www.senate.gov.phwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
:1was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
:2was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Shenon, Philip (May 13, 1992). "Anti-Corruption Campaigner and General Lead in Early Philippine Returns (Published 1992)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ "Press Release - Santiago: Youth against corruption". legacy.senate.gov.ph. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ "Delivering on the promise of a fair, effective and independent Court > Election of ICC and ASP Officials > Judges". Coalition for the International Criminal Court. Archived from the original on June 12, 2007. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "PRESS STATEMENT ON SENATOR SANTIAGO'S ELECTION AS ICC JUDGE". Senate Press Releases. Senate of the Philippines. December 13, 2011. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
- ^ Macaraig, Ayee. "It's final: Miriam steps down as ICC judge". Rappler. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
- ^ Macaraig, Ayee. "Miriam Santiago: I have lung cancer". Rappler. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
- ^ "Miriam to join Bill Gates in elite law group". philstar.com. January 23, 2016. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
- ^ "Our People - IDLO". July 2, 2015.
- ^ Placido, Dharel (December 3, 2018). "Miriam Defensor Santiago becomes 6th recipient of PH's highest civil service award". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
- ^ "15 Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Miriam Defensor-Santiago". July 5, 2014.
- ^ "Philippines: 'Iron Lady Of Asia' Miriam Santiago Runs For President After Surviving Cancer". Headlines & Global News. October 13, 2015.
- ^ "Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago". Senate of the Philippines. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
- ^ "Miriam Santiago: Philippine senator and ex-presidential candidate dies". BBC News. September 29, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
- ^ "Miriam Defensor-Santiago: A life 'dedicated' to public service". The Manila Times. September 27, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2020.