BY PRINCE GOLEZ
Manila Reporter
MANILA – Iloilo City’s Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, battling stage 4 lung cancer, may run for president in 2016.
“I am not going to be coy. Society leaders have urged me to seek the presidency,” said Santiago.
The feisty Ilongga senator ran for president in 1992 but lost to then Defense secretary Fidel Ramos. She claimed she was cheated.
She ran again for president in 1998 but the eventual winner was then Vice President Joseph Estrada.
“I can rise to the occasion (again), although I was following the other sign posts on the road to recovery,” said Santiago yesterday.
She also said she needs supporters like constitutionalist Fr. Joaquin Bernas.
The senator said her “cancer cells are waving a white flag.”
Her doctors, after her diagnosis two months ago, had to place her on Tarceva medication for six weeks.
A St. Luke’s Medical Center (Bonifacio Global City) report dated August 12, said Santiago, stated that the tumor in her left lung had “regressed.”
While undergoing treatment, Santiago said, she worked on the 2014 editions of 10 law books.
On Tuesday, Bernas, a member of the 1986 Constitutional Convention, said President Benigno Aquino III should not pursue a term extension and instead “give” Santiago, a former Regional Trial Court judge, “a chance”.
Santiago said she will likely coalesce with either the Liberal Party or the Nacionalista Party in 2016.
“After I was diagnosed with cancer, (former) Senator Manny (Villar) went to my house and told me…that my popularity level is very high. But he also said he is encouraging several hopefuls to raise their survey ratings,” said Santiago./PN
