Saturday, 8 September 2012

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago (born 15 June 1945) is a Filipino politician, notable for having served in all three branches of the Philippine government,  judicial, executive, and legislative. Santiago was named one of The 100 Most Powerful Women in the World in 1997 by The Australian magazine. 

In 1988, she was named laureate of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for government service, with a citation “for bold and moral leadership in cleaning up a corrupt-ridden government agency.” She ran in the 1992 presidential elections but was defeated in an election marred by allegations of impropriety by the victor.

In 2012, she became the first Filipina and the first Asian from a developing country to be elected a judge of the International Criminal Court. She later resigned the post, citing chronic fatigue syndrome, which turned out to be lung cancer. She has also written books covering topics in law and the social sciences. She has served three terms in the Philippine Senate.

With Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago