Sister fondly recalls family ‘debate’ on Miriam’s ‘beauty, brains’

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago (INQUIRER PHOTO)

For the Defensor family of Iloilo, her being the epitome of “beauty and brains” has always been debatable, but there is no contest as far as her “brains and shapely legs” are concerned.

Thus recalled Nenalyn Defensor, younger sister of Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, on Saturday night when she acknowledged the tribute given by the UP Vanguards where Miriam served as corps sponsor in 1969.

Nenalyn fondly recalled the “big debate” in their family every time the issue of Miriam being an example of “beauty and brains” was brought up.

“Brains? Yes, beauty? Hmm …” Defensor said, smiling, to the delight of the people present in the wake at the Immaculate Conception Chapel in Cubao.

She said that to some siblings, a much younger and taller sister was more beautiful than Miriam, who got her height from their mother. In the end, they would accede to two “beautiful” women in the family, with Miriam being the eldest in a brood of seven.

Nenalyn, a former chief of the Commission on Higher Education, said she missed those happy days of her family. Two siblings are now dead while two are based in the US and the Netherlands. Only her and former Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Benjamin Defensor are now left residing in the Philippines.

Nenalyn said there would always be one rock star in the family, and that indeed is her diche (eldest sister).

In his tribute, Norby Perrin, the former UP Vanguard corps commander of Miriam, said the nation lost a good leader.

Perrin is based in Maryland, USA, so his speech was read at the wake by Ding Villena, former vice mayor and former three-term mayor of Padre Burgos, Quezon, as some of their classmates in the UP ROTC Class of 1969 extended their condolences to the Santiago family.

“We know she is listening to our Luksang Parangal tonight.  I still remember my brod, the former UP Vanguard national commander Bimbo Salazar, asking me how I felt when Miriam was his corps sponsor,” Perrin said. “I said only one word: intimidating.”

He recalled that in 1969, Miriam was a senior law student about to graduate cum laude at the UP College of Law while he was having a difficult time in his electrical engineering course.

He said Miriam was an icon, a campus figure, the editor of Collegian and president of the UP Women’s Club.

Juanito “Sonny” Ventura, now 78, recalled that Miriam was chosen corps sponsor based on a survey of campus figures with both beauty and intelligence as the main criteria.

Ventura attested to Miriam’s “shapely legs” which she used to brag about during light moments.

Perrin said few could match Miriam’s achievements in life.

“Indeed, she was known by so many names, among them a rare politician who achieved a rock star status and in the tradition of UP Vanguard, she belongs to the ‘chosen few.’ This Luksang Parangal is a tribute to the chosen few who gave their lives for dreams stronger than death,” he added.