Dr.

Miriam Defensor Santiago- she the degrees Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude;
and Bachelor of Laws, cum laude, from the University of the Philippines. Her graduate
degree which is Master of Laws along with Doctor of Juridical Science, from the
University of Michigan, one of the top three law schools in the United States. She
finished the academic requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Religious Studies,
at the Maryhill School of Theology. Dr. Santiago holds an amazing record of excellence
in all three branches of government – judicial, executive, and legislative. In the judicial
branch, she has been presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court at Quezon City. In the
executive branch, she has been immigration commissioner; and a cabinet member, as
agrarian reform secretary. In the legislative branch, she has now been a senator for
three terms.She worked abroad. She served as legal officer of the United Nations in
Geneva, Switzerland. She also served as a consultant of the Philippine embassy in
Washington, D.C. In the Philippine Senate where Dr. Santiago is on her third term, she
has filed the highest number of bills, and authored some of the most important laws.
Some of her most important pending bills are: anti-dynasty bill; an act institutionalizing
an age-appropriate curriculum to prevent the abduction, exploitation, and sexual abuse
of children; anti-epal bill; freedom of information bill; and magna carta for Philippine
internet freedom. She has been fearless in exposing and naming notorious criminal
suspects in legislative investigations, particularly in naming jueteng lords and illegal
logging lords.