Former Philippine senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago dies at 71
Known as a feisty senator, an award-winning government servant and the “Iron Lady of Asia,” Miriam Defensor-Santiago (MDS) has passed away at age 71 after battling with Stage IV- Lung Cancer.
MIRIAM DEFENSOR-SANTIAGO. The Iron Lady of Asia has passed away on September 29. Photo grabbed from Rappler.com
According to her husband, Atty. Jun Santiago, via GMA News, “She died peacefully in her sleep this morning” (September 29, Thursday).
Defensor-Santiago was a well-known Filipino politician who served in all three branches of government in the country. She was also named as one of “The 100 Most Powerful Women in the World” in 1997 by an Australian Magazine.
She also ran for presidency in the Philippines in 1992, 1998, and in 2016. Serving three terms in the Philippine Senate, Defensor-Santiago was recognized for authoring the most number of laws and bills in the entire history of Philippine government. She is also known for her no-nonsense style of leadership, addressing the nation’s problem in graft and corruption.
MDS was also a laureate of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for government service, and the first Asian to be elected as a judge of the International Criminal Court. She later resigned the post and in 2014, the former lawmaker announced that she had stage IV Lung Cancer.
MDS passed away at 8:52 am while confined at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Bonifacio Global City. She is survived by her husband and son Narciso Santiago III.
