Solons offer condolences to family of Miriam Defensor-Santiago

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago.
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES

Members of the House of Representatives offered their condolences to the family of former senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who died in her sleep Thursday morning.

READ: Miriam Defensor-Santiago passes away at 71

Kabataan Rep. Sarah Jane Elago lauded the senator for fighting for the country’s sovereignty in her stance against agreements with the United States, such as the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca).

“We offer our profound condolences to Mr. Narciso Santiago and his family on the passing of Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago,” the youth solon said.

“We remember Sen. Miriam as a feisty senator who valiantly went against the tide and strongly defended the sovereignty of the Philippines in her many moves to call for the abrogation of lopsided deals with the United States, including the Visiting Forces Agreement and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement,” she added.

Elago said the senator “served as one of the beacons of hope in the Senate. The Filipino people, especially the youth, will forever be grateful for her manifold contributions to building an independent and prosperous Philippines.”

“Her passing is the end of an era. She was the most unforgettable of her generation… Love her or hate her, agree with her or not, her thoughts and her style of expression demanded respect,” Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat said in a text message.

Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate lauded Santiago and called her the country’s well respected “Iron Lady” known for her witty “hugot” lines.

“The Iron Lady is gone but she had a well-ironed place in our history as a respected jurist, executive bureaucrat, legislator, international law expert, and, of late, a master par excellence in ‘hugot lines,'” Zarate said.

Zarate also lauded the senator for her position against the VFA and Edca, and for joining the fight against the now defunct Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

“More importantly, though, she’s an ally in the campaign against pork barrel and against onerous foreign treaties like the VFA and EDCA. To paraphrase one of her hugot lines, mahirap maglaro ngayon ng taguan, because someone like her is hard to find.

Requiescat in pace MDS,” Zarate said.

Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza recounted Santiago’s brave presidential bid in 1992 as the standard bearer of the People’s Reform Party against the winning president Fidel Ramos.

“Our nation lost a fearless fighter, full of ideals and ideas. An ideal public servant and a very dear friend. We will always cherish our struggles in her presidential candidacy in 1992 as the standard bearer of the People’s Reform Party (PRP).” Atienza said in a statement.

“Our nation lost a fearless fighter, full of ideals and ideas. An ideal public servant and a very dear friend… We condole with the family she left behind,” he added.

Santiago ran but lost in the May 2016 presidential elections with her running mate then senator Bongbong Marcos. She was battling stage four lung cancer.

Santiago’s husband Narciso “Jun” Santiago told the Inquirer that his wife passed away at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City, where she had been taken in and out of for complications of her ailment.

BACKSTORY: Miriam Santiago: ‘I got lung cancer’

Santiago’s family said she died at 8:52 a.m. CDG/rga