Santiago vows to run for president again if all ‘pork barrel scam crooks’ are tried

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago is willing to take another shot at the presidency on one condition: All the crooks involved in the pork barrel scam will be brought to trial.

“If all the crooks who are substantially involved in the pork barrel scam are brought to trial before the court then I will consider running for president,” she said in a press conference at the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu on Wednesday afternoon.

Santiago, who was guest speaker during the 77th Commencement Exercise of the university, didn’t name names.

But she said that before running for president — her second since her unsuccessful campaign in 1992 — she would like to start “cleaning these crooks” in government.

She, however, didn’t say how.

Asked what she would do if people insisted that she run regardless of the outcome of the pork barrel investigations, Santiago, laughing, said she would “run away.”

“I have been there before. It is difficult without money. In my estimate, it needs P2 billion. B as in baboy. Baboy talaga (It’s a real pigsty),” she said.

“Saan ba nila kinukuha ang P2 billion (Where will they get the P2 billion)? It could be from illegitimate businesses… which do not give money beyond certain level,” she added.

Santiago lost to Fidel V. Ramos in the 1992 presidential elections.

The feisty senator was also asked to comment on the survey where she landed number four among the possible vice presidential contenders.

“Vice presidentiable? Are you insulting me? Sinong nagsabi na number 4 ako (Who said that I’m number 4)?” Santiago said in jest.  She then added she was happy that she was being considered as a candidate and that she was merely joking around about her prospects.

In the meantime, Santiago said she was trying to test the capacity of her body in withstanding long distance flights to determine if she could go to the Hague and report to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“I am very grateful because I am treated as a special case since my failure to report has been due to circumstances beyond my control,” she told reporters.

“I am only trying, the capacity of my body to withstand flights. That’s why I came by plane to Iloilo. I am only testing myself if I can withstand this vigors. Then I can withstand the vigors all the way to Hague,” she added.

Santiago bared her plans to go to the United States to get treatment for her chronic fatigue syndrome.

Santiago has been diagnosed with the condition, which prevented her from travelling to Hague to report to ICC.

She was elected as judge in the ICC in December 2011 but she has not reported for work because of her illness.