WHAT WENT BEFORE: Santiago, Drilon vs Enrile

Why Enrile hates Santiago and Drilon, according to Santiago

1.  SEN. MIRIAM Defensor-Santiago and Sen. Franklin Drilon were classmates at UP Law, class 1969.  Miriam graduated cum laude and topped the class on the Diliman campus.  Frank was a bar topnotcher.

2.  Both Miriam and Frank invited Enrile to be a sponsor during their respective weddings.  One of Miriam’s other sponsors was Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr., father of President Aquino.

3.  When President Cory Aquino appointed Miriam as immigration commissioner and Frank as labor secretary, Enrile out of jealousy, branded them “disloyal” to him. Miriam won the Magsaysay Award for Government Service.  Miriam and Frank served in the Cory cabinet.

4.  When Cory’s term neared its end, Enrile sent one of their classmates, Alfonso Reyno Jr., at the time his political associate, to convince Miriam to run as vice president, with Enrile as presidential candidate.  Miriam declined.  Later, Boy Reyno quit as Enrile’s ally.

5.  In the May 2010 elections, Miriam ran as official candidate of her own People’s Reform Party.  But she was guest candidate of Villlar’s NP, Estrada’s PMP, Angara’s Kampi, and Cojuangco’s NPC.  Enrile was a PMP candidate and he told journalists that he resented it when Miriam came late to the PMP rallies, and allegedly “showed off” by getting ovations from the crowd.

6.  After the impeachment trial, a survey showed that of all the senator-judges, the public voted Miriam No. 1, with a score of some 68 percent.  Enrile was a far second, with a score of some 18 percent.

7.  During the ‘sin tax’ debate, Enrile introduced an amendment to require that there should be a 15 percent local content requirement for all cigarettes.  But Miriam pointed out that this requirement would violate international trade law.  She cited the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) of 1994.  The Department of Trade and Industry supported Miriam’s position.  She won the point in the bicameral report sponsored by Drilon.

8. During the RH debate, Enrile said the International Conference on Population and Development was not part of international law.  Miriam corrected him and said that under contemporary international law, the Final Act of an international conference is in effect considered a treaty binding on the signatories, including the Philippines. Enrile resented Miriam’s remark. He became sarcastic and called himself “knucklehead,” and with a sneer, called Miriam “brilliant.”