[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’PSYCHOTROPIC ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY ANGELICA PFLEIDER
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
Miriam is forever
WHO HAS not heard of the passing of former senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago?
The quick-witted and smart-mouthed Ilongga made a place for herself in our hearts whether you loved her or hated her (and I’m sure she wouldn’t have cared if you did).
When she lost the presidency in 1992 and 1998, she made up for it by having four terms in the Senate where she shined. Not everyone loved her. She had a very strong character. She knew she was smart, she was proud of it, and she wasn’t too patient with those who weren’t. Some may say she was arrogant for this reason.
She had principles that she stood for at the point of being quite extreme about them. She was an advocate of a corruption-less government. She was the flagship of the armada against goons and gold who shot out canons of wildfire.
Her mind and her mouth worked together to create endless one-liners (or some may consider tirades) that she never failed to spurt out during her speeches. She became a political celebrity both here and abroad.
Then, there was the announcement that she had cancer that raised alarm all over the people of the Philippines. The strong-willed Iron Lady had a new and different kind of a battle, one unlike all the other death threats she would have for breakfast that she faced with a grin and a joke. Though her health was declining she continued her work and even ran for the presidency a third time.
During her campaign, she really hit it off with the youth. Millennials adored her wit and humor and found her a noble warrior against corruption. She empowered the youth by making them believe they can do anything as long as they use their brains. Mt. Everest won’t be too hard to climb for the youth of today.
Sadly she lost for the third time and her health slowly declined. On Sept. 29, 2016 her body decided that it was time for her to rest. The news brought an eerie silence among her fans and even her enemies.
She was a force all her own. She was a long legged, great brain behind an even greater mouth. She was a red viper unlike anyone ever seen before in the game of politics.
She will truly be missed locally and internationally. But hey, she wouldn’t want us to mope around her passing. She would want us to remember her during her greatest times, her golden moments, her travails through Jurassic Park law school and the Temple of Doom of Politics.
She was no pure soul — very few are — but she was brave and she spoke her mind. May she always be remembered as a knight for education, for equality and for a clean government./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
