Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—While most of her cancer cells have regressed, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago has informed her colleagues she still cannot attend plenary sessions due to fatigue.
Within the last two weeks, the feisty senator spoke at two public forums, cracking up her audience with one-liners while taking a dig at Vice President Jejomar Binay and Philippine National Police Director General Alan Purisima.
She appeared exhausted after her engagements.
“I have difficulty looking pretty but I have difficulty walking once in a while because of my cancer,’’ she said before sitting down for a press conference following her speech at the Philippine Christian University last Wednesday morning.
In a letter to senators last Thursday, Santiago said 90 percent of her cancer cells had regressed, six months after she was diagnosed with lung cancer and given “modern medication.’’
Even so, she said, she was not yet “physically fit’’ to attend the plenary sessions “because of the characteristic debilitating fatigue that marks cancer.’’
“However, I have managed to discharge my duties as chair of certain committees. In addition I continue to file bills and resolutions on a weekly basis,’’ she said in her letter.
“I have also managed to discharge some speaking obligations, on condition that the event will not last more than two hours, which is my physical limit at this time,’’ she added.
Congress is resuming sessions on Monday after a three-week-long break.
In her recent speeches, Santiago scored Binay for his silence in the face of serious charges of corruption. She also suggested that President Aquino kick Purisima upstairs amid charges that he had amassed ill-gotten wealth.
In early July, Santiago announced she was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. She was also suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome that made her miss sessions.
Two months later, in early September, she showed up in the Senate to chair a joint congressional Commission on Appointments hearing on the appointments of foreign officers. She flared up over differences on mustering a quorum with Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas, and walked out. She has since patched up with Fariñas.
Three of her colleagues, Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr., are now detained at the national police headquarters while being tried at the Sandiganbayan on plunder and graft charges in connection with the alleged diversion of congressional pork barrel funds.
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