I have had many conversations with the late Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago; some of them serious, colloquies as she would call them, some of them very casual. We usually talked over a cup of coffee or over dinner but the one thing constant is that any conversation with her was engaging and meaningful. Many people were impressed by her grandiloquence, and rightfully so because when she spoke you would often find yourself looking for a dictionary. But in my intimate chats with her, I have been more amazed by her mind. Her mental acuity is as sharp as her rhetorical virtuosity.
Everyone probably remembers her as a graft-buster, and she was indeed relentless in her fight against corruption in government. But there was one quality Miriam possessed that really impressed me: she did not care about being popular, all she cared about was doing what she thought was right. In one of our talks, I remember her quoting a philosopher to drive home her point. Turned out it was Cicero: I have always been of the opinion that unpopularity earned by doing what is right is not unpopularity at all, but glory.”
For as long as I have known her, she has never allowed popularity to determine what she would do as a public servant. Her decisions at the various impeachment trials she was part of as a senator, her unyielding support for the Reproductive Health Act of 2012 in a country that is predominantly Catholic, were some of the unpopular decisions she made. But they were part of her fiery dedication to principles that she has lived by all her life.
Miriam, who would have celebrated her 80th birthday last June 15, was someone not swayed by what is fashionable or what surveys say about public opinion. Do not get me wrong. She was a defender of democracy and she understood the role of public opinion but she believed deeply that policy decisions must be based on a deep understanding of issues instead of what would ensure reelection. She did not pander to the multitude. She was an independent thinker who believed that she was elected by the people to mindlessly mimic public opinion but for her discernment and wisdom. We need more public officials like Miriam Defensor Santiago. Her intellectual prowess, courage, and integrity are qualities we should be demanding from our elected officials.
Miriam was a very good friend of our family. It was amazing to see her feisty demeanor in public then witness a caring, soft, thoughtful character in person. She was very nice to me, Cynthia and even our children. I can honestly say that she has always treated us like family. Despite our busy schedules we would always find time to have coffee and talk. She would always call me on my mobile phone just to talk about what she thought about a certain current issue. Of course, she gave me a lot of advice not just in terms of politics but life in general.
That was the reason why I was very sad when I found out about her cancer. I think it was in 2014 when she announced that she had stage four lung cancer. Typical of Miriam, she found levity in an otherwise dire health condition: It is not spreading. In my case, they are very well behaved. I believe in discipline all my life. Even my cancer cells are showing excellent discipline”, she said in an interview with GMA News.
But her illness failed to temper her courage and resolve. She even ran for president in the 2016 Presidential Elections. Looking at her and listening to her speak one would not come to the conclusion that she had cancer. She lost the elections and a few months later she would lose her final battle with cancer. On Sept. 29, 2016, Miriam, my friend, passed away.
It has been almost nine years since the Iron Lady of Asia died. Our public discourse has been sorely missing her brilliance and eloquence. There can only be one Senator Miriam. Her memory lives on as we continue to remember her quotes, jokes, but more importantly, the life that she lived. She famously said: “Life is a consequence of our moral choices.” She made a lot of tough moral choices but her life is a testament to her integrity and decency.
