Despite cancer, Santiago filed most bills in Senate

MANILA, Philippines—While fighting lung cancer through the second half of 2014, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago filed more than 1,000 bills and resolutions.

Senate records showed Santiago filed 1,007 bills and resolutions as of Dec. 17, 2014, the most by a senator.

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

After saying she had been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer in June last year, Santiago chaired the Commission on Appointments deliberations on the appointments of foreign officers, called hearings on the controversial Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) with the United States and the killing of Filipino transgender woman Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude, among other legislative inquiries.

She also spoke at several forums and launched a book, “Stupid is Forever,” a collection of her witty one-liners, early in December.

Santiago is on medication. So far, according to her, 90 percent of her cancer cells had regressed.

In early July, Santiago announced that she had been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. She said she was also suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome which made her miss sessions.

“Only my body is sick, not my brain,” she had said.

In early September, she showed up at the Senate to chair a CA 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 things up with Fariñas.

Three of her colleagues—Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr.—have been charged with plunder and graft over the P10-billion pork barrel scam and are now detained at Philippine National Police headquarters while undergoing trial.

While detained since June, Estrada came in second with 604 bills and resolutions filed, followed by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, 307; Sen. Lito Lapid, 219, and Sen. JV Ejercito, 217.