SANTIAGO
SENATOR Miriam Defensor Santiago, who passed on yesterday, is considered as one of the greatest daughters of the Visayas.
Michael Dino, Presidential Assistant for the Visayas, in his statement said that the late senator is one of the greatest among the daughters of the Visayas.
“The feisty senator from Iloilo is now debating with the Greatest Debater above. In her argumentative pauses with the Creator, may she bring up the message of renewal and unity of our beloved country,” Dino said.
He added that the Visayans were joining the Filipino nation in mourning the passing of the ever aggressive, energetic senator.
Aside from Dino, Liloan Mayor Christina Garcia Frasco posted on her Facebook account earlier about Santiago.
“Never, never, never, never, never give in — except to the dictates of conscience and duty. The eternal words of Churchill come to mind today as our nation mourns the passing of Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago. For indeed, she was one of the great patriots of our time, as Churchill was in his,” Frasco posted on her Facebook.
Business leaders also shared their thoughts on the passing of the senator.
“It’s a sad day for our country to lose a true statesman like Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. She was a President of the country we never had. Her advocacies and what
she stood for will always be remembered,” said Glenn Soco, Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president.
“The Philippines has lost one of its most colorful politicians. Her sickness was so serious that had she been elected president, she would have been unable to function at all. It bothers me though that she did not disclose the full extent of her illness while she was campaigning for President and it should be a requirement for candidates to be transparent about their health,” said Gordon Alan Joseph, Cebu Business Club president.
“We join the entire country in expressing our condolences to the family of Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, an esteemed senator, a feisty lawyer and public servant who had always awed us with her brilliance and knowledge of the law,” said Melanie Ng, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president.
A Santiago supporter also shared her thoughts on the passing of the senator.
Junnette Garcia, 26, and a Customs Broker from Cebu City, said that she has been a Santiago supporter since she was second year college at University of Cebu (UC).
When Santiago ran for the presidency in the May 2016 elections, Garcia was among the volunteers who campaigned via social media.
After the elections, Garcia was among the volunteers who received a letter which was sent from the office of Santiago thanking her for the support during the election period.
“The letter was to extend gratitude to her supporters. I was very happy that I received that letter,” Garcia told Cebu Daily News.
Garcia reposted the thank you letter of Santiago on her Facebook account yesterday.