The Life of Asia’s Iron Lady

By bma

The Incorruptible Lady, The Platinum Lady, The Tiger Lady, The Dragon Lady, The Queen of
Popularity Polls, The Campus Hero and The Iron Lady of Asia. These tag names will not be
enough to describe how truly great and passionate the late Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago
was. Her no-nonsense style of leadership, combined with her extraordinary intelligence and a
fiery tongue, makes her differ from the rest of her colleagues.

Defensor Santiago was born on June 15, 1945 in Iloilo City, Iloilo to Benajmin A. Defensor, a
district judge, and Dimpna Palma Defensor. She was the eldest among her siblings, Benjamin,
Nenalyn, Linn, and Paula Dimpna Beatriz. She grew up in a middle class erudite household with
both parents having higher educational attainments. In 1971, she was married to Narciso
Santiago, Jr. She met her husband in University of the Philippines when they were in college.

“I was working very hard in the library and I had to carry home lot of books. When I passed
by the doorway, he (her husband) just suddenly showed up. I was startled and he said, “Do you
want me to bring all those books?” And I said, “Yes, please.” I was willing to pay him, if it was
necessary. And then, I was surprised he had a big red sports car. So, I said, wow, that’s
impressive. So he brought me home.” Santiago said in a 2012 interview as she reminisce her
first meeting with him.

They renewed their wedding vows four decades later. They had two sons named, Narciso III
and Alexander. But in 2003, her son Alexander died after committing suicide. Which then later
on, they adopted four children named, Megan, Mallory, Mackenzie and Morven.

At the age of 71, Santiago passed away on September 29, 2016 at St. Luke’s Medical Center
in Taguig City where she had been taken on and off due to her complications in stage 4 lung
cancer. She was diagnosed with her ailment in 2014. “She died in her sleep. She was
unconscious when she passed away.” Her husband said in a news article.

Superb Student

She was an excellent and an accomplished student back when she was in elementary and
high school, wherein she graduated both valedictorians. Her stellar academic performance
continued until she reached college, as she graduated magna cum laude with Bachelor of Arts
in Political Science from the University of the Philippines Visayas in 1965. In 1969, she
proceeded to University of the Philippines Diliman where she earned her law degree with
honors and won numerous oratorical contest and debates. She also became the very first
female editor in chief of UP’s newspaper, The Philippine Collegion.

As she pursuit her passion in law, she went abroad to earn the graduate degree of Master of
Laws and Doctor of Judicial Science, from one of the top las schools in the United States, the
University of Michigan. She also studied at several universities, including Oxford University,
Cambridge University, Hardvard University, Stanford University and Maryhill School of Theology
where she finished the degree Master of Arts in Religious Studies.

Profession Excellency

She was marked as “The Iron Lady of Asia”, as she was known for her numerous
achievements, especially through politics. She was a Filipino academic, a lawyer and a former
trial judge, an author and a renowned constitutional and international law expert, a former
senator who served all the three branches of the Philippine government―judicial, executive
and legislative.

Santiago said she wanted to take literature in college, as she always dreamt of being a
writer, but because of his father who was a district judge, she pursued a career in law. “My
Father said we have a lot of relatives who are criminals, so you should be a lawyer” Santiago
explained how she ended up taking law. After her studies abroad, she refused to join a private
law firm, instead she serve as special assistant to then Justice Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile, for
ten years, as a payback as she was an alumna of the University of the Philippines. Afterwards,
due to her constitutional and international law knowledge and experience, she worked as a
legal officer at the United Nations High Commission in Geneva, Switzerland. She was then
appointed as a judge at Regional Trial Court of Quezon City and she was the youngest.

As she continued her profession, she then enters the world of politics. In 1995, she was
elected as senator. She ran for re-election in 2001 but lost. However, she made again to the
Senate when she won a seat in 2004 and got re-elected again in 2010. She ran three times for
the position of president but none of those three attempts won. First, in 1992 election, she lost
to Fidel V. Ramos, then to Joseph Estrada in 1998 and lastly in 2016 won by the current
president, Pres. Rodrigo Duterte. In 2015, before the 2016 Presidential Elections, she
announced her intention to run as president after her cancer was considered ‘stable’ by doctors
in United States. She then announced that Senator Bongbong Marcos will serve as her running
mate for vice president. She was a landslide winner in numerous public and private universities
and colleges’ polls in the country. But in spite of this, she still lost in election. Which then later
on, she has been called “the greatest president we never had”.

Her “Witticisms”

The Iron Lady is not only known for her bravery and fearless type of leader, she is also
known for bringing comic relief to serious political issues with her humorous “pick-up lines” and
wit commentary. She admits to the use of hyperbole. “You exaggerate what you say to be more
effective, to catch the attention of the listeners.”, she said. Because of her wittiness, almost
every statement that comes from her should include to the words of wisdom.

“Tanong: Kung and opposite ng ‘pro’ ay ‘con’, ano naman ang opposite ng ‘progress’? Sagot:
Congress.” One of Santiago’s pick-up lines in a speech at the University of Perpetual Help in
2016.
 “God is neither up above nor out there. Instead, God is found in here, in the human mind, in
the human conscience. That is why, you are not only graduating with a bachelor’s degree today,
you are graduating to a place nearer God is. Because God is in here. God is in you.” She said in a
commencement speech at the University of the Philippines Cebu in 2014.

Because of its popularity, she achieved her dream of being an author as she published two
books entitled “Stupid is Forever” and “Stupid is Forevermore”―which includes her collections
of pick-up lines and witty inspirational lines, which then both become top sellers.

“What is the meaning of life? This meaning is not for you to find, but for you to define. The
meaning of life is found in the purposes that we pursue as we grow older.” – Miriam Defensor
Santiago, Stupid is Forevermore