Senators mourn passing of Miriam Defensor Santiago, hail her as one the ‘greatest’

Senators on Thursday joined in mourning the death of former Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, with most of them hailing her as one of the greatest public servants.

Senate President Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, a student of Santiago in the UP College of Law, said he owes his legal knowledge to the late senator. 

"I would always intently listen to her when she would speak in the Senate on constitutional and international law matters. I did not always agree with her position but I always learned from her arguments," Pimentel said. 

"I'm saddened by her passing, saddened more by the fact that I wasn't able to visit her during her last days with us," he added.

In a statement, Senate President Pro-Tempore Franklin Drilon said “there is no senator, past or present, who can match Senator Santiago’s uncommon brilliance and fiery dedication to her principles and beliefs.”

“She was an intellectual giant and a legal luminary whose wit and words benefited this nation and its people so many times over. She's a loss to the country. She will remain an inspiration to all of us,” Drilon said.

Drilon and Santiago were classmates in the University of the Philippines-Iloilo College and the UP College of Law, from 1961 to 1969.

Moment of silence

Upon learning the news in separate public hearings, Senators Grace Poe and Risa Hontiveros offered a moment of silence for Santiago.

Poe, chair of the Senate committee on public information holding a hearing on the freedom of information (FOI) bill, said she dedicates the measures to her “courageous colleague” Santiago.

“This bill is also dedicated to her. And hopefully we also pass it in her memory,” Poe said, as she recalled one of her sleepless nights preparing for an interpellation with the feisty senator.

Hontiveros, for her part, briefly interrupted the budget hearing on the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and informed the Senate finance committee of Santiago’s death.

She later on posted a message on Facebook hailing Santiago as "a fighter, a seasoned legislator, a champion, a woman."

Senator Ralph Recto said Santiago “set the benchmark in clarity of thought and convincing discourse.”

“On her worst day when cancer had already invaded her brain, she was still sharper than any of us, displaying an acumen that was hard to defeat,” Recto said.

“Senator Miriam was one of a kind. And we are lucky that like a meteor that streaks across our skies once every century, we were able to witness her dazzling brilliance during our lifetime,” he added.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, who were once political rivals with Santiago, said that while he was not the “best of friends” with the late senator, she will be remembered as “passionate, articulate and a renowned constitutionalist.”

On his Twitter account, Senator Francis Escudero extended his condolences to Santiago’s husband, lawyer Narciso “Jun” Santiago Jr., and hailed Miriam as “one of the greatest.”

Also on Twitter, Senator Gregorio Honasan said Santiago “leaves behind footprints in our public lives that will be hard to follow.”

Senator Sonny Angara, for his part, said the “country lost a patriot and much admired public servant.”

“I am saddened to know that Miriam will now be debating with a much greater body than the Philippine Senate,” Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III said.

Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito said it was a “very sad day,” recognizing Santiago as “one of the fiercest, smartest, and colorful lady legislators.”

‘Out of words to express gratitude’

Senator Joel Villanueva said he was “out of words” to express gratitude to Santiago’s public service.

“A notable woman who have served all three branches of the government, Senator Miriam Santiago was a great patriot who dedicated her life to serving the country,” Villannueva said.

Senator Leila de Lima hailed Santiago as a “respected institution” not only in the country but in the international community as well.

“She is known across all spectrums of society for her courage, legal expertise, and her sterling career in public service. She won the hearts and inspired the Filipino people through her spirit and fiery rhetoric— and through her ability to relate to them on a fundamental, deeply personal level,” De Lima said.

“In the midst of the political crisis that we have been experiencing as of late, her death is a sobering reminder that while our time on earth is fleeting, our service to our countrymen is eternal,” De Lima added.

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, for his part, said Santiago was an "iconic public figure and certainly one of the most influential in recent memory." 

Senator Nancy Binay also extended her condolences to Santiago's family, and recognized her decades-long service as a trial judge, immigration commissioner, as agrarian reform secretary, and as senator. 

"I was one of those who would stop and listen to the wise words she would say in the Senate sessions. I knew that Sen. Miriam would be ready with her witty lines and feisty attitude," Binay said.

"Sen. Miriam—a brilliant legal mind, a loving wife and mother, and a public servant - would be missed," she added. 

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said the late senator "was admired for her fearless leadership and unquestionable honesty and integrity."

‘Woman who spoke out with vigor’

Sen. Richard Gordon hailed Santiago as "a woman who spoke out with great vigor on the issues that were of importance to the country."

"She was a model—through her intelligence, hard work and integrity—to emulate for young Filipinos aspiring for leadership positions. Her passing away is a great loss to the Philippines," Gordon said in a statement posted by the Senate in its Tumbler account.

Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, meanwhile, said Santiago was his professor in law.

"Nakikiramay kami sa mga iniwan ni Sen. Miriam. She was my constitution law professor in UP College of Law. The Senate was blessed to have had her, providing both excitement and education on law, vocabulary, and humor. She will be missed,” he said in a statement shared by the Senate on Facebook.

Sen. Cynthia Villar referred to Santiago as "a beloved friend."

"Miriam leaves behind a legacy and a body of work that would be hard to beat. She personified legislative vigor and sharpness," Villar said in a statement sent to media.

"She can be, sometimes, acerbic and brutal, but I can vouch for her honesty. I know her as a loving and caring person. She was always bigger than life. Vintage Miriam," she added.

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, meanwhile, said Santiago was "an exemplary public servant and a fierce defender of good governance."

In a statement, he added that she was "among the best and brightest advocates for change who, despite her own personal battles, continued to fight for the rights and welfare of our people."

Santiago, 71, succumbed to cancer on Thursday morning, her husband said. "She died peacefully in her sleep this morning," he said.

The former lawmaker passed away while confined at the St. Luke's Medical Center in Bonifacio Global City. She divulged in 2014 that she had stage 4 lung cancer. — RSJ/KG, GMA News