Pinoy Buzz: Miriam Santiago

Comelec Election Results 2016 for President partial, unofficial

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - The long wait is over. The Commission on Election (Comelec) is expected to release the partial and unofficial results of May 2016 national elections for presidential race immediately once the voting close on Monday at 5pm (May 9).<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_XFfJyVhikMuH4HoAt6fRds4ggEIT9VzauqWhZzve-UmT31yymlcnIzzQI3P225iKoLJAL1v17vBP-XPC_mBt7aGdbsvKEYbAL062BuRGgOhpkrLk8S0znlgE7SuU1pjJ5L2z-Qn6x4N/s1600/presidential-candidates.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Comelec Election Results 2016 for President partial, unofficial" border="0" class="img" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_XFfJyVhikMuH4HoAt6fRds4ggEIT9VzauqWhZzve-UmT31yymlcnIzzQI3P225iKoLJAL1v17vBP-XPC_mBt7aGdbsvKEYbAL062BuRGgOhpkrLk8S0znlgE7SuU1pjJ5L2z-Qn6x4N/s1600/presidential-candidates.jpg" title="Comelec Election Results 2016 for President partial, unofficial" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aspiring candidates for the 2016 Philippine presidential elections.</td></tr></tbody></table>The 16th president of the Philippines and the successor of President Benigno Aquino III will be announced in the coming days once the official canvassing of votes started.<br /><br />On this page, you will find the updates on latest vote tally for the 5 presidential candidates: vice president Jejomar Binay (UNA), Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago (PRP), Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte (PDP–Laban), Senator Grace Poe (Independent) and former DILG secretary Mar Roxas (Liberal).<br /><center><div class="infogram-embed" data-id="_/VsvVt5Vkpor7pWqY2Drw" data-title="Untitled chart" data-type="interactive"></div><script>!function(e,t,n,s){var i="InfogramEmbeds",o=e.getElementsByTagName(t),d=o[0],a=/^http:/.test(e.location)?"http:":"https:";if(/^\/{2}/.test(s)&&(s=a+s),window[i]&&window[i].initialized)window[i].process&&window[i].process();else if(!e.getElementById(n)){var r=e.createElement(t);r.async=1,r.id=n,r.src=s,d.parentNode.insertBefore(r,d)}}(document,"script","infogram-async","//e.infogr.am/js/dist/embed-loader-min.js");</script><div style="border-top: 1px solid #dadada; font-family: "arial important"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px; margin: 0 30px; padding: 8px 0; text-align: center;"><a href="https://infogr.am/71a0f1ab-d0d3-4a66-b683-25f7eb781ebe" rel="nofollow" style="color: #989898!important; text-decoration: none!important;" target="_blank">Comelec results for president</a><br /><a href="https://infogr.am/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #989898!important; text-decoration: none!important;" target="_blank"></a></div></center><b>RELATED RESULT:</b><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://pinoybuzz.blogkorner.com/2016/05/comelec-election-results-2016-vice-president-partial-unofficial.html" rel="nofollow">Comelec Election Results 2016: Vice President partial, unofficial</a></li><li><a href="http://pinoybuzz.blogkorner.com/2016/05/may-2016-election-senatorial-race-comelec-partial-unofficial-results.html" rel="nofollow">May 2016 Election: Senatorial race Comelec first partial, unofficial results</a></li><li><a href="http://pinoybuzz.blogkorner.com/2016/05/metro-manila-ncr-election-2016-comelec-results-mayor-vice-mayor.html" rel="nofollow">Metro Manila (NCR) Election 2016 Comelec results: Mayor, Vice Mayor</a></li></ul><br />In the final SWS pre-election survey, Duterte holds a clear lead over his rivals or 33-percent would vote for him as president. The Davao Mayor has 11 percentage points ahead of his strongest opponent, independent candidate Grace Poe.<br /><br />On Monday, the candidates casted their votes on their respective polling precinct.<br /><br />According to Comelec, more than 40 million voters are expected to report to 92,000 precincts across the country to cast their ballots in the country’s second automated presidential election.<br /><br />Based on Comelec rules, the candidate with the highest number of votes wins the presidency. In case when two or more candidates have the highest number of votes, one of them shall be chosen by the vote of a majority of all the members of both Houses of the Congress, voting separately.<br /><br />The canvassing of votes for the presidential race is the sole jurisdiction of Congress sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, according to the poll body.<br /><br />The Congress is given not later than thirty days after the day of the election to canvass results from all provinces, independent cities that have their own legislative districts, diplomatic posts, and local absentee voters. <br /><br />The next president shall be inaugurated on June 30, 2016.<br /><br /><b>2016 automated election system (AES) Overview</b><br /><br />The May 2016 election is the country's  third automated polls after the 2010 (presidential) and 2013 (senatorial) polls.<br /><br />When voting close on Monday, the vote counting machines (VCMs) transmit the vote counts – also known as election returns or ERs – to the different servers and canvassing centers in the AES.<br /><br />From the VCMs, the election returns (ERs) are transmitted to the central server, to a transparency server, and to the municipal board of canvassers (MBOC).<br /><br />From the MBOC, the results are transmitted to the provincial board of canvassers (PBOC), where the results are collated and then transmitted to the national board of canvassers (NBOC), where the results for national positions are canvassed.<br /><br />The MBOC and PBOC also separately beam ERs to the central server.<br /><br />Like us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our email list to receive real-time results.</div>

Comelec Election Results 2016 for President partial, unofficial

MANILA, Philippines - The long wait is over. The Commission on Election (Comelec) is expected to release the partial and unofficial results ...

Miriam nudges Duterte, other presidentiables on human rights

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, an elected judge of the International Criminal Court, challenged other presidentiables in the May elections to include human rights concerns in their list of priorities.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pWEyY-UJXIWo23Ppn_VbBMSwg7mk2_n3VPUmzfBqRRLIvtvoTCCmFj7B1NUDBliCETXlmLbyNjhBDiuU_3xNwhP8fxhmp4OA1xJQCj89b8NQfko2JPPfkGQgWKaNfwA1VKoiZZ8YSMIS/s1600/miriam-duterte.png" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte." border="0" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pWEyY-UJXIWo23Ppn_VbBMSwg7mk2_n3VPUmzfBqRRLIvtvoTCCmFj7B1NUDBliCETXlmLbyNjhBDiuU_3xNwhP8fxhmp4OA1xJQCj89b8NQfko2JPPfkGQgWKaNfwA1VKoiZZ8YSMIS/s640/miriam-duterte.png" title="Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte." width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.<br />Photo Credit: Facebook /Sen. Miriam, Rodrigo Duterte</td></tr></tbody></table>Santiago on Monday lamented that three of her four fellow contestants for Malacañang failed to respond to the questionnaire sent by international observer Human Rights Watch (HRW).<br /><br />Only Santiago and Liberal Party bet Mar Roxas shared their human rights views, HRW revealed. Vice President Jejomar Binay, Sen. Grace Poe, and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte did not answer the questionnaire.<br /><br />"Human rights should be at the forefront of the agenda of any person running for public office. A rights-based approach in public policy has historically proven to be most effective," the senator said.<br /><br />The list of questions HRW sent out as early as March 22 quizzed candidates on the issues of impunity, violence against indigenous groups, the Reproductive Health (RH) Law, journalist killings, summary executions, the Anti-Torture Law, persons displaced due to conflict, and the HIV/AIDS situation.<br /><br />"The Philippines has made broad strides in human rights policy in the past decade," Santiago said, citing the passage of important laws that she either authored or supported in the Senate. These include:<br /><br />Republic Act No. 9710 or the Magna Carta of Women;<br /><br />R.A. No. 9745 or the Anti-Torture Law;<br /><br />R.A. No. 9851 of the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity;<br /><br />R.A. No. 10354, or the RH Law;<br /><br />R.A. No. 10368, or the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act;<br /><br />R.A. No. 10361, or the Kasambahay Law; and<br /><br />R.A. No. 10353, or the Anti-Enforced Disappearances Law.<br /><br />She also considered as gains the Philippine commitment to the 1954 Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons, and accession to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, both in 2011.<br /><br />But Santiago stressed that "policies aimed at promoting human rights are meaningless unless fully and wholeheartedly implemented."<br /><br />She cited as challenges failure to convict a perpetrator of torture despite the passage of the Anti-Torture Act, and hurdles in the implementation of RH Law amid a hold order on contraceptive implants and congressional budget cuts.<br /><br />"The culture of impunity threatens to perpetuate human rights abuses. Cases that need to be immediately resolved include the continuous disappearance of activists working in the countryside, allegedly because of military operations; the deaths of some 50 media workers in Maguindanao; and the recent deadly skirmish between elite cops and Moro rebels in Mamasapano," Santiago added.<br /><br />The senator also tagged as urgent the need to protect the rights of vulnerable members of society, including children, women, and indigenous groups, especially in times of disaster and conflict.<br /><br />"Child labor remains rampant, with underage workers reported even in the most dangerous of sectors such as small-scale mining. Children are also being recruited by rebel, terrorist, and paramilitary groups," she said.<br /><br />Santiago added that in the aftermath of disasters, stories of abuse against children and women abound. "The Philippines must address with urgency the militarization of indigenous communities," the senator further said.<br /><br />Human rights priorities under her administration, Santiago said, include:<br /><br />The swift approval of the Freedom of Information Law, to open the military to scrutiny amid allegations of abuses and to protect journalists;<br /><br />The abolition of private armies and a review of state sponsorship of militias and paramilitary groups;<br /><br />Full and conscientious implementation of the RH Law;<br /><br />An immediate review of the Inter-Agency Committee on Extra-Legal Killings, Enforced Disappearances, Torture, and Other Grave Violations of the Right to Life;<br /><br />The introduction of a national quick response hotline for enforced disappearances and torture;<br /><br />The urgent passage of the Rights of Internally Displaced Persons Act; and<br /><br />The declaration of a national emergency to address the spread of HIV/AIDS.<br /><br />Santiago, a widely respected expert in constitutional and international law, is also known as a strong defender of human rights. She first became popular as a trial court judge for a landmark human rights ruling during martial law.</div>

Miriam nudges Duterte, other presidentiables on human rights

MANILA, Philippines - Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, an elected judge of the International Criminal Court, challenged other presidentiabl...

FULL VIDEO REPLAY: Comelec-ABS-CBN 3rd PiliPinas Debates 2016

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - All five candidates have attended the third and final presidential debate dubbed as "PiliPinas Debates 2016" at the Phinma-University of Pangasinan in Dagupan City on Sunday, April 24, 2016. The full video replay of this townhall debate courtesy of ABS-CBN is available on this page.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOSdIhS2n7x8HMcxWqsYQck6DJkWMStVVocJefTRg5x527mLHK5Fc_QDQrNtbV-DjzzXmsH7S9iP9iNF2iV4xfyjk8TPMeknDW5OrPRAT8JwfBO2RrPFvS5neQ8cC48W3p-o9roS1DpHxA/s1600/pilipinas-debates-2016-replay.JPG" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOSdIhS2n7x8HMcxWqsYQck6DJkWMStVVocJefTRg5x527mLHK5Fc_QDQrNtbV-DjzzXmsH7S9iP9iNF2iV4xfyjk8TPMeknDW5OrPRAT8JwfBO2RrPFvS5neQ8cC48W3p-o9roS1DpHxA/s640/pilipinas-debates-2016-replay.JPG" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Manila Bulletin</td></tr></tbody></table>Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Grace Poe, and former Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas battled for the last time in the Luzon leg of the PiliPinas 2016 Debate series.<br /><br /><b>WATCH: Here's the full video replay of PiliPinas Debates 2016 (video courtesy of ABS-CBN).</b><br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="330" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4xmWLEf3ap4" width="600"></iframe></center><br />Issues that were tackled in the debate include metro traffic and public transport, job security, health, foreign policy, basic public education, OFW concerns, and peace for Mindanaoans in conflict areas. <br /><br />In the “Face-Off” round, candidates were given a chance to pose questions to a fellow candidate. In the Fast Talk segment, presidential bets gave their quick opinion and answer on some relevant issues.<br /><br />ABS-CBN, Manila Bulletin, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) have partnered to set the final showdown of Presidential Town Hall Debate series two weeks before the May 9 elections.<br /><br />Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said he hoped the event will become a regular addition in future elections. “It will now become a tradition that will also be observed in succeeding elections,” Bautista said.<br /><br />“The Dagupan debate is the most proximate to the election day and I am sure whatever will transpire will have more influence in the minds of the voters,” KBP Board Chairman Herman Basbaño said.<br /><br />On February 21, the first run of the debate series held at Cagayan de Oro City was organized by GMA-7. On March 20, TV5 staged the debate at the University of the Philippines (UP)-Cebu. The latter became controversial due to misunderstanding of rules between a candidate and TV5.<br /><br />Who do you think won the third and final #PiliPinasDebates2016? Express your thoughts in the comment section below.</div>

FULL VIDEO REPLAY: Comelec-ABS-CBN 3rd PiliPinas Debates 2016

MANILA, Philippines - All five candidates have attended the third and final presidential debate dubbed as "PiliPinas Debates 2016"...

LIVESTREAM: 3rd and Final PiliPinas Debates 2016 on ABS-CBN video now up

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - The third and final leg of presidential debate dubbed as "PiliPinas Debates 2016" happens today, April 24, 2016 at the Student Plaza of Phinma-University of Pangasinan in Dagupan City. ABS-CBN, the broadcast partner mounts full livestream of this townhall debate.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmbH88spzVy3bM7uRBSTU7cahc-XXbR5xh5A_h8GTY0IeeHwvjKG-IbBByvkmldgXODLHbh1ruAdfle2hwqleQLvPDhwoyvF3W18pn_YvmLzy7750b5euvsL0YTDUto0a1MSEniK6M4-I/s1600/PiliPinas-Debates-2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="3rd and Final PiliPinas Debates 2016 on ABS-CBN video now up" border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmbH88spzVy3bM7uRBSTU7cahc-XXbR5xh5A_h8GTY0IeeHwvjKG-IbBByvkmldgXODLHbh1ruAdfle2hwqleQLvPDhwoyvF3W18pn_YvmLzy7750b5euvsL0YTDUto0a1MSEniK6M4-I/s640/PiliPinas-Debates-2016.jpg" title="3rd and Final PiliPinas Debates 2016 on ABS-CBN video now up" width="560" /></a></div><br /><br />ABS-CBN, Manila Bulletin, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) set the final showdown of PiliPinas 2016 Presidential Town Hall Debate series two weeks before the May 9 elections.<br /><br />Catch the livestream of third Pilipinas Debates 2016 at the University of Pangasinan here (news.abs-cbn.com/live):<br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="330" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/950g5hwtAv8" width="600"></iframe></center><br />The pre-program will air at 5:45 p.m. on ABS-CBN. Debate proper begins at 6 p.m. There will also be a “HALALAN 2016 Debate Special” on ANC, the ABS-CBN News Channel, DZMM/Teleradyo, and News.abs-cbn.com beginning 5pm that will provide in-depth analysis before and after the debate.<br /><br />Note: The full video replay courtesy of ABS-CBN will be available on this page later.<br /><br />Meanwhile, here's the live Twitter feed for the final presidential debate for the 2016 elections:<br /><br /><center><a class="twitter-timeline" data-widget-id="724094222488346624" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PiliPinasDebates2016" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">#PiliPinasDebates2016 Tweets</a><br /><script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+"://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");</script></center><br /><b>All presidential candidates will share the stage for the last time</b><br /><br />ABS-CBN Integrated News and Current Affairs chief Regina Reyes has confirmed that all five presidential candidates will attend the debate.<br /><br />Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Grace Poe, and former Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas have all agreed to the format and mechanics of the Luzon leg of the Pili Pinas 2016 Debate series.<br /><br />Miriam who skipped the Visayas leg due to health reason will show up this time. "Oh yeah I will be there!" she told reporters during the commencement exercise at Bulacan State University.<br /><br /><b>Presidential debates topics, format</b><br /><br />Reyes said the Comelec debate will use <b>townhall format</b> as this would allow regular people to ask the candidates of some pressing issues of the society.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdfnLU3aAqCKAzrayIOb80EVqP_GXghLLJQpMk-H2Kyz3qPCj8oEGFKwmdBb7RLIYPiBt8-fRHTlH7-Wi-a2WE0oZql-9DzcHDpKwy_N4a1pm4bFuTnxucxEK1562aVDd-8tsdlJiAJto/s1600/PiliPinas-debates-2016-abs-cbn.JPG" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="presidential townhall debate" border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCdfnLU3aAqCKAzrayIOb80EVqP_GXghLLJQpMk-H2Kyz3qPCj8oEGFKwmdBb7RLIYPiBt8-fRHTlH7-Wi-a2WE0oZql-9DzcHDpKwy_N4a1pm4bFuTnxucxEK1562aVDd-8tsdlJiAJto/s640/PiliPinas-debates-2016-abs-cbn.JPG" title="presidential townhall debate" width="560" /></a></div><br />The topics were carefully selected from entries submitted by the general public to ABS-CBN.<br /><br />Issues that will be tackled in the debate include metro traffic and public transport, job security, health, foreign policy, basic public education, OFW concerns, and peace for Mindanaoans in conflict areas. There will also be a “Face-Off,” where a candidate will pose questions to a fellow candidate.<br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xjm2zPGwP7k" width="560"></iframe></center><br />“We are dubbing it (the debate) as Harapan ng Taong Bayan, where real people with real issues will be able to participate,” ABS-CBN News department representative Francis Toral said.<br /><br />ABS-CBN’s top news anchors Karen Davila and Tony Velasquez will moderate the town hall debate.<br /><br /><b>Debate to be aired live abroad</b><br /><br />This final presidential debate will make use of an open-field venue and be aired abroad live for the first time via ABS-CBN’s The Filipino Channel (TFC). It will also be available via iWantTV.<br /><br />ABS-CBN's presidential debate which run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. It will also be shown online via live streaming services of Manila Bulletin and ABS-CBN’s online sites.<br /><br /><b>Feedback for the Comelec debate</b><br /><br />Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said he hoped the event will become a regular addition in future elections. “It will now become a tradition that will also be observed in succeeding elections,” Bautista said.<br /><br />“The Dagupan debate is the most proximate to the election day and I am sure whatever will transpire will have more influence in the minds of the voters,” KBP Board Chairman Herman Basbaño said.<br /><br />On February 21, the first run of the debate series held at Cagayan de Oro City was organized by GMA-7. On March 20, TV5 staged the debate at the University of the Philippines (UP)-Cebu. The latter became controversial due to misunderstanding of rules between a candidate and TV5.<br /><br />Who will dominate the third and final #PiliPinasDebates2016? Express your thoughts in the comment section below.</div>

LIVESTREAM: 3rd and Final PiliPinas Debates 2016 on ABS-CBN video now up

MANILA, Philippines - The third and final leg of presidential debate dubbed as "PiliPinas Debates 2016" happens today, April 24, 2...

NAIA invites "world's worst airport" title anew - Miriam

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Presidential candidate Miriam Defensor Santiago on Monday warned that the five-hour blackout that stranded thousands of passengers threatens to put the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) back in the list of worst airports in the world.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRe5jdSTWmN1oQi2RZlCno5q6IOr1UGOTKhzDUO77N5L9Kgsl6l3Okus6QxSgqRs8x21oYMoJxwt6LB-y9hLmsJWCtyG2PX23br6A-E29_k0zL4gqD-6ctplPK5I8Nf90YfHHx5uND92S/s1600/NAIA-terminal3.JPG" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Five-hour power outage hit NAIA Terninal 3 on Saturday night" border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRe5jdSTWmN1oQi2RZlCno5q6IOr1UGOTKhzDUO77N5L9Kgsl6l3Okus6QxSgqRs8x21oYMoJxwt6LB-y9hLmsJWCtyG2PX23br6A-E29_k0zL4gqD-6ctplPK5I8Nf90YfHHx5uND92S/s640/NAIA-terminal3.JPG" title="Five-hour power outage hit NAIA Terninal 3 on Saturday night" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Five-hour power outage hit NAIA Terninal 3 on Saturday night. Photo Credit: Twitter/iambryanbanquil</td></tr></tbody></table>Santiago, laureate of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for government service said the administration must immediately investigate the NAIA-3 incident on Saturday and remove from office those who are found responsible.<br /><br />"The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) seems eager to regain the 'world's worst airport' title which it lost only in 2015, not only for inconveniencing passengers, but for not working as it should," the senator said.<br /><br />The NAIA was the world's worst airport from 2011 to 2013, and the fourth worst in 2014, according to online travel website Guide to Sleeping in Airports, which ranks airports based on comfort, convenience, cleanliness and customer service.<br /><br />Santiago was responding to news that as of Sunday, some 80 domestic flights from NAIA Terminal 3 have been cancelled and another 80 international and<a href="http://pinoybuzz.blogkorner.com/2016/04/in-photos-brownout-hits-naia-terminal-3.html" rel="nofollow"> local flights have been delayed due to the blackout</a>, affecting some 15,000 passengers.<br /><br />The airport administration blamed the outage on a Manila Electric Company (Meralco) supply trip, and claimed that even after Meralco restored power, the NAIA remained without electricity. Meralco has meanwhile denied a power outage.<br /><br />Santiago, for her part, said that the NAIA must have uninterrupted power supply. "Assuming for the sake of argument that the Meralco line tripped, where were the generators? The explanation that they were not working is unacceptable," she added.<br /><br />The infrastructure agenda Santiago posted on her website includes the development of a modern international airport. The NAIA runway design, she said, is one of the main factors for congestion.<br /><br />"The runways are perpendicular to each other, barring planes from using one runway when the other is in use. If NAIA will be expanded, we must build runways parallel to each other," the senator said.<br /><br />"In the meantime, it would be wise to reallocate some flights to the airport in Clark, which is currently underutilized. Clark Airport should complement and not necessarily replace NAIA," she added.</div>

NAIA invites "world's worst airport" title anew - Miriam

MANILA, Philippines - Presidential candidate Miriam Defensor Santiago on Monday warned that the five-hour blackout that stranded thousands o...

Sen. Miriam skips second presidential debate to join clinical trial

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Presidential candidate Miriam Defensor Santiago said that she will not be attending the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and TV5's second presidential debate scheduled this Sunday, March 20, after being accepted as fit to undergo a clinical trial for a new, unnamed anti-cancer pill.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFWnQUmlwcJzSx2L9AyJ-FzrIeCl776WkbgMI9P1gBtSksTHO1pCnzMYkzuHBvACgwU2JktH7nHetc605JFHoKGkO000HdFlZUntg_VO1QlglIOleY2kBGt-mLKTzN2O8omZN-PX95r-Uc/s1600/Miriam-santiago-skips-debates.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sen. Miriam skips second presidential debate" border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFWnQUmlwcJzSx2L9AyJ-FzrIeCl776WkbgMI9P1gBtSksTHO1pCnzMYkzuHBvACgwU2JktH7nHetc605JFHoKGkO000HdFlZUntg_VO1QlglIOleY2kBGt-mLKTzN2O8omZN-PX95r-Uc/s640/Miriam-santiago-skips-debates.jpg" title="Sen. Miriam skips second presidential debate" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Twitter/senmiriam</td></tr></tbody></table>Santiago said she joined the international clinical trial to gain free access to the medication, which would otherwise cost reportedly half a million pesos every three weeks. The trial requires Santiago to report for outpatient radiation treatment at the hospital daily for a short period.<br /><br />The senator said she will try and participate in the third and last presidential debate on April 24 (to be handled by ABS-CBN) if the ongoing treatments do not inhibit her.<br /><br />"I am very sorry to miss out on the debates, but it would be a disservice to the country if I forego the opportunity to get rid of my cancer completely and strengthen myself further to serve the Filipino people," Santiago said.<br /><br />Prior to her announcement, the senator, who was diagnosed with lung cancer, stage four, in June 2014, has delivered speeches in several universities around the country, banking on her popularity among the youth to buoy her presidential bid.<br /><br />In all her campus speeches, Santiago urged millennial voters to vote for candidates with academic, professional, and moral excellence. She also asks the youth to campaign for her recalling the massive impact of youth volunteers in her 1992 run.<br /><br />Santiago has been dubbed the "president of campuses," having topped the following university surveys conducted since the filing of certificates of candidacy in October:<br /><br />De La Salle University Manila, 75 percent;<br /><br />Polytechnic University of the Philippines, 64 percent;<br /><br />Universilty of the Philippines (U.P.) Los Baños, 86 percent;<br /><br />University of Santo Tomas, 66 percent;<br /><br />Ateneo De Manila University, 36.6 percent;<br /><br />U.P. Manila, 59.5 percent;<br /><br />University of Northern Philippines, 35.85 percent;<br /><br />Malayan Colleges Laguna, 54.7 percent;<br /><br />Colegio de San Juan de Letran, 58.5 percent;<br /><br />U.P. Diliman, 41.6 percent;<br /><br />Holy Angel University, 40 percent;<br /><br />University of Asia and the Pacific, 43.2 percent;<br /><br />Adamson University, 64 percent;<br /><br />Ateneo de Naga University, 37.4 percent;<br /><br />U.P. Baguio, 78.2 percent;<br /><br />Philippine Normal University, 76 percent;<br /><br />Arellano University, 36 percent; and<br /><br />De La Salle University - Lipa, 32 percent.<br /><br />Santiago has also previously said that her campaign will bank heavily on her strong social media base. With some 3.4 million followers on Facebook and some 2.4 million on Twitter, Santiago has the biggest social media clout among the presidential candidates.</div>

Sen. Miriam skips second presidential debate to join clinical trial

MANILA, Philippines - Presidential candidate Miriam Defensor Santiago said that she will not be attending the Commission on Elections (Comel...

Santiago wins first presidential debates 2016 - Sen. Marcos

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines  - Vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos, Jr. believes his presidential running mate Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago outshone her rivals in the first presidential debates for 2016 elections held at the Capitol University in Cagayan De Oro City on Sunday, February 21.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8rmNciIJIU3e7b5d55XGRDD38r1OXKpi5Fc62HbPA2UA8e3G5ndW8bRuiQEt4hdYD6D6HcErsE9vwjANExWUpMWOjvcnxq9mPstru7pMmdCFF0bnkJ2f9kY2VysHDydziBO0c795QGR1/s1600/miriam-santiago.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Miriam Santiago" border="0" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8rmNciIJIU3e7b5d55XGRDD38r1OXKpi5Fc62HbPA2UA8e3G5ndW8bRuiQEt4hdYD6D6HcErsE9vwjANExWUpMWOjvcnxq9mPstru7pMmdCFF0bnkJ2f9kY2VysHDydziBO0c795QGR1/s640/miriam-santiago.jpg" title="Miriam Santiago" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Twitter.com/senmiriam</td></tr></tbody></table>Apart from Senator Santiago, all other presidential candidates took part in the Commission on Election-sponsored debates, including Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, former Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas III, Senator Grace Poe, and Vice President Jejomar Binay.<br /><br />"I think she did very well, kagaya ng inaasahan nating lahat. Alam naman nating lahat na pag debate ang pinag-uusapan ay si Senator Santiago ang talagang hasang-hasa dyan at sanay na sanay dyan," Marcos said in an ambush interview during a break on his sortie yesterday in Muntinlupa City.<br /><br />Marcos said it was obvious in the presidential debates that compared to other candidates, Santiago had a deeper appreciation and analysis of the problems affecting the country today as well as the applicable practical solutions.<br /><br />"Ganyan talaga ang ugali ni Sen. Santiago, hindi shallow, hindi peripheral, hindi tangential ang kanyang pag-iisip kundi pinupuntahan na talaga kung ano yung puno't dulo ng problema at yun kagabi ang nakita natin," Marcos said.<br /><br />However, Marcos thinks it would help the voters make a better assessment and comparison of the capabilities of the candidates if in the next round of debates they would be made to answer common questions on specific issues.<br /><br />After consolidating his support in the "Solid North", on the first two weeks of the campaign, Marcos has begun his foray yesterday into the CALABARZON (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon) area, which the Commission on Election tagged as having the most number of voters in the country at 7.6 million.<br /><br />Marcos is thankful for the warm reception he got from the people of Muntinlupa.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Marcos believes the issue of Santiago's health will not affect their campaign at all.<br /><br />There were earlier calls for presidential candidates to bare their health record, particularly directed at Santiago who had admitted having Stage 4 lung cancer but eventually said she has beaten it.<br /><br />"She's fine. Of course she has a condition that she has to take care of. But other than that, she is handling the campaign very well," said Marcos.<br /><br />"If she says she's okay, I believe that," he added.<br /><br />Marcos also said it's not health but strategic reason why he and Santiago are not oftentimes seen together in campaign sorties, particularly to enable them to reach as many people as possible that they wouldn't be able to do if they would always go together.<br /><br />"Umiikot sya sa mga college. Ganyan naman talaga ang ginagawa ng mga kandidato sa campaign para mas maraming mapuntahan," he said.</div>

Santiago wins first presidential debates 2016 - Sen. Marcos

MANILA, Philippines - Vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos, Jr. believes his presidential running m...

Sen. Miriam Santiago joins Bill Gates in 'Rule of Law' Council

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago has gained another nod from the global community as she was invited to join Microsoft founder Bill Gates and other luminaries in an elite council of advisers for the Rome-based International Development Law Organization (IDLO).<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikljuzFmXNNCV4O3D6ShZviw9Cq3PspTPNDtcCWbobc4vXe3gadp4ThhPbBPUPHjJp8iZ6mCLBrqZnjlSOLuw4ytz5gQ-Xh33O5xVP2kRMkCMu9KJ8NkadT48VXsns5QoPyFUQjbWT5qUU/s1600/miriam-to-join-bill-gates.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Miriam to join Bill Gates, et al in 'rule of law' council." border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikljuzFmXNNCV4O3D6ShZviw9Cq3PspTPNDtcCWbobc4vXe3gadp4ThhPbBPUPHjJp8iZ6mCLBrqZnjlSOLuw4ytz5gQ-Xh33O5xVP2kRMkCMu9KJ8NkadT48VXsns5QoPyFUQjbWT5qUU/s640/miriam-to-join-bill-gates.jpg" title="Miriam to join Bill Gates, et al in 'rule of law' council." width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miriam to join Bill Gates, et al in 'rule of law' council. Photo Credit: @senmiriam/Twitter</td></tr></tbody></table>As part of the IDLO International Advisory Council, Santiago will "provide critical, forward-looking guidance on the issues IDLO tackles in order to make a culture of justice real for all the people of the world," IDLO Director-General Irene Khan said in a letter to the senator.<br /><br />The IDLO is an intergovernmental organization devoted to promoting the rule of law. Khan said that its advisory council is composed of "individuals of international reputation for extraordinary leadership in addressing rule of law, justice, and development issues."<br /><br />Besides Gates, council members include former Ireland President Mary Robinson; former Senegal President Abdou Diouf; Abdel-Latif Al-Hamad, chairman of the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development; Albie Sachs, former justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa; and former U.S. ambassador Thomas Pickering.<br /><br />"I am honored yet humbled to receive the invitation from IDLO. It challenges me to place my lifetime career as a lawyer and legislator in a larger frame of service for the pursuit of justice and international development," Santiago said.<br /><br />Before being invited to the IDLO Council, Santiago became the first Filipino and the first Asian from a developing country to be elected judge of the International Criminal Court, the independent tribunal that prosecutes individuals for war crimes and crimes against humanity.<br /><br />She waived her post in 2013 due to chronic fatigue syndrome, which was later diagnosed as lung cancer, stage four. In October, Santiago announced that her cancer has been arrested, and that she is running for president in the 2016 polls.<br /><br />"If elected in May, and with the consent of IDLO, I expect to serve both as president of the Philippines and member of the International Advisory Council," the senator said.<br /><br />Santiago was presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court in Quezon City when she first catapulted into popularity, receiving numerous awards for her no-postponement policy and for unburdening the court of backlogs.<br /><br />She was then appointed Commissioner of Immigration and Deportation, for which she won the Asian Nobel Prize, the Ramon Magsaysay Award for government service. Santiago also became Secretary of Agrarian Reform. In 1992, she ran for president and never conceded defeat.<br /><br />At the Senate, Santiago is known as the resident constitutional law and international law expert. She has Doctor of Juridical Science and Master of Laws degrees from the University of Michigan, and a law degree, cum laude, from the University of the Philippines.</div>

Sen. Miriam Santiago joins Bill Gates in 'Rule of Law' Council

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago has gained another nod from the global community as she was invited to join Microsoft fo...

INFOGRAPHIC: 16 Things You Need To Know About Presidential Candidate Sen. Miriam Santiago

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">As the stirring vibe of the upcoming elections is all over in our search for the country’s 16th president of the republic, The Summit Express will bring you closer to your potential bets this coming election through a series of our special reports. For this time, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago will test the waters again to see if the Filipinos are finally ready to embrace her as their new leader. Will the 'Miriam Magic' finally catapult her to the presidency? Here are the sixteen things you need to know about the pugnacious legal luminary of her era.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXUNgKX0NTnSVyCK0c5OrOuZ-0ZG-7g80_JUO7WwNCLypePmkzgL8HKIhyphenhyphenkU2Or2nHtOUZ-QJaxv52dnGhjWHFk8sTECFTpISns9YeR3fQ-CT8ON812LuxNvGVtwskqZBsvvmB85YSMdI/s1600/Infographic-miriam-for-president.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXUNgKX0NTnSVyCK0c5OrOuZ-0ZG-7g80_JUO7WwNCLypePmkzgL8HKIhyphenhyphenkU2Or2nHtOUZ-QJaxv52dnGhjWHFk8sTECFTpISns9YeR3fQ-CT8ON812LuxNvGVtwskqZBsvvmB85YSMdI/s1600/Infographic-miriam-for-president.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><b>1. Santiago has the most number of bills and resolutions filed last 2014.</b><br /><br />Santiago has been branded as the Senate's top-performing senator. Despite of her cancer, she still managed to top the list being the person who filed the most number of bills and resolutions.<br /><br /><b>2. Graduated with a near-perfect grade of 1.1. in U.P. Visayas.</b><br /><b><br /></b> <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZV7-PvjzdjEX9K3KLMDKig_4x9QJU3w_ZeRqNhCKjp9i3dt-7ppRcw8mlN3EebRr2wf8EqSeHHpNb7pm7B_01v2oZCymYqUOecTde2ttedYowZdth-aHpicl4W6MaL1Igr6qQcVeHCeV/s1600/mdsgrad.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sen. Miriam graduated with flying colors as magna cum laude in 1965." border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZV7-PvjzdjEX9K3KLMDKig_4x9QJU3w_ZeRqNhCKjp9i3dt-7ppRcw8mlN3EebRr2wf8EqSeHHpNb7pm7B_01v2oZCymYqUOecTde2ttedYowZdth-aHpicl4W6MaL1Igr6qQcVeHCeV/s640/mdsgrad.jpg" title="Sen. Miriam graduated with flying colors as magna cum laude in 1965." width="436" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bemedaled: With a 1.1 grade, Sen. Miriam graduated with flying colors as magna cum laude in 1965. <br />Photo credit: miriam.com.ph</td></tr></tbody></table>It was at the University of the Philippines Visayas where Miriam was able to complete her political science degree in 1965 with 1.1 final grade, a breath away from the perfect 1.0. She graduated as a magna cum laude, a recipient of the Rotary Award for Most Outstanding Graduate. Prior to that she's been the top student on her class way back in elementary and high school!<br /><br /><b>3. The first Filipino to be elected in the prestigious International Criminal Court of U.N.</b><br /><br />As well as being the first Asian from a developing country. With a vote of 79 out of 104, Santiago was elected as an ICC judge on December 2011. Unfortunately, the lady senator has to beg off from taking the post as she found out later on that she has cancer.<br /><br /><b>4. Broke the tradition by being the 1st female Editor-in-Chief of the Philippine Collegian student paper.</b><br /><br />In 50 years. Yes, for the first half of its existence, the famed student paper of the University of the Philippines was dominated with men taking the said post. It was only when Miriam entered the scene that the tradition was disrupted.<br /><br /><b>5. One of the most powerful women in the world.</b><br /><b><br /></b> <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0G-spxw8spO9Pav5MnyRNRpY4st2Y50-9OXINYTYl7XYbb21zphtie5YM_Tu2qJWljnup4VlwernkhffdF_dD6Nf6a8Wr2Y2CjV0pqX7Cy3YZIAawk5TW4MBbLwQLZSYpSO-Mjwexdr1/s1600/mdsmt.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Iron Ladies: Santiago with former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. " border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0G-spxw8spO9Pav5MnyRNRpY4st2Y50-9OXINYTYl7XYbb21zphtie5YM_Tu2qJWljnup4VlwernkhffdF_dD6Nf6a8Wr2Y2CjV0pqX7Cy3YZIAawk5TW4MBbLwQLZSYpSO-Mjwexdr1/s640/mdsmt.jpg" title="Iron Ladies: Santiago with former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. " width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iron Ladies: Santiago with former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. <br />Photo credit: miriam.com.ph</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The Australian Magazine hailed Miriam as one of the 100 most powerful women in the world in 1997 together with notable world figures such as Oprah Winfrey, Margaret Thatcher and Mother Teresa. <br /><br /><b>6. Constitution genius but she almost failed the bar exams.</b><br /><br />Miriam seems to be a magnet attracting various forms of physical maladies, in 1965, the senator almost flunked in the bar exams after obtaining only 78%, a meager figure from the failing grade standard. Nonetheless she took other avenues to perfect her craft after getting learning opportunities from well-known universities around the world such as Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge Universities.<br /><br /><b>7. Fought cancer while preparing for her presidential run.</b><br /><br />It was in July of last year when she announced that she has a stage four lung cancer, yet the feisty senator spiced up things at that same time when she started hinting an another presidential run to escape from what she considers as a 'boring' life while recovering from her sickness. <br /><br /><b>8. Worked in ALL three branches of the government.</b><br /><br />She worked as Commissioner of the Bureau of Customs and as Agrarian Reform Secretary under the Cory Aquino administration. Prior to that she was a Regional Trial Court at Quezon City during the Marcos era, she's the youngest judge to be appointed to Metro Manila. Later on, Miriam will embark on a three term journey in the senate from 1995, 2004 and 2010 respectively.<br /><br /><b>9. Ran for the presidency but lost…twice.</b><br /><br />While many were thought that Santiago was about to become the president of the republic in the 1992 elections, it was her bitter rival former President Fidel Ramos who clinched the majority of the vote. Up to this day Santiago is still claiming that she was cheated by Ramos.<br /><br /><b>10. Santiago only spent PHP 500,000 during her last senatorial run in 2010.</b><br /><br />The popularity and mass appeal of the senator among all social classes always provided her a smooth-sailing election campaigns with spending less while having lots of people to campaign for her. This was evident on her last senatorial run in 2010 wherein she said that she only spent 500,000 pesos to fund her campaign.<br /><br /><b>11. She's worth PHP 73MILLION as of last year.</b><br /><br />Santiago’s net worth of 73 million pesos last year makes her part of the top ten list of the wealthiest senator last year, 2014. If we will compare her net worth with other presidential candidates namely Binay, Duterte, Poe and Roxas, Santiago will take the 3rd spot.<br /><br /><b>12. A Ramon Magsaysay Awardee.</b><br /><br />On 1988, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago was acknowledged by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, dubbed as the ‘Nobel Prize of Asia’ and awarded her the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service. <br /><br /><b>13. Best Debater/Glamour Girl.</b><br /><b><br /></b> <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtuagFg5xg1oc3ZZCmm3f-rCaAF4Zq8yIbX7MPLuQdBYw2JwusuPEZgcGXf5IxzswxOGxCB3tIKlu1SMaOfr1AHWgE93wM5nlj9I0DDTn35LJrIYzcAvzCRNLqKz9vy0S69PjGvGZVmPh8/s1600/mdsrcs.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtuagFg5xg1oc3ZZCmm3f-rCaAF4Zq8yIbX7MPLuQdBYw2JwusuPEZgcGXf5IxzswxOGxCB3tIKlu1SMaOfr1AHWgE93wM5nlj9I0DDTn35LJrIYzcAvzCRNLqKz9vy0S69PjGvGZVmPh8/s640/mdsrcs.jpg" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Sen. Miriam (center) was once a beauty title holder as ROTC Corps Sponsor.  </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo credit: miriam.com.ph</span><br /><div><br /></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table>There was a time where Santiago was hailed as the Best Debater in UP, but what was more surprising is that she also held a beauty title as ROTC Corps Sponsor, not only once but twice!<br /><br /><b>14. Miriam originally wanted to become a nun, then as a writer.</b><br /><br />At a young age, all she wanted was to become a nun because that seems to be the vogue calling at that time for young girls and that she has been taught by nuns during her childhood until she started to realize that she has to take a higher responsibility of helping her parents to raise her other siblings being the eldest of seven kids. Later on Santiago will dream next of becoming a writer but was discouraged by her father and insisted for her to become a lawyer. Later on, her brilliance in law would take her into greater heights.<br /><br /><b>15. There were around more than 50MILLION people who voted on her in the stretch of her almost a quarter of political life.</b><br /><br />Or roughly half of the current population of the Philippine society. She had three successful senatorial runs (1995, 2004, 2010), two failed attempts at the presidency (1992 and 1995) and the senate (2001).<br /><br /><b>16. She loves to wear bathing suit during her prime years.</b><br /><br />“It is the ideal tropical wear, really, then you can wear high heels." – Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago on her bathing suit picture.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ub1_AgZLnCe739B90KpGSHbsTZcaPu2Cx6t75-KBq4PioofLHJABJccE5wRGgTpobVEwwrOwOZCcbd9RaojFTMAkj6G2cEw1DCRveLF3apmK9b5cuu6FtGNqFZX_AAYU1FuM444vJ0pi/s1600/mdsss.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Miriam on her bathing suit during younger years" border="0" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ub1_AgZLnCe739B90KpGSHbsTZcaPu2Cx6t75-KBq4PioofLHJABJccE5wRGgTpobVEwwrOwOZCcbd9RaojFTMAkj6G2cEw1DCRveLF3apmK9b5cuu6FtGNqFZX_AAYU1FuM444vJ0pi/s640/mdsss.jpg" title="Miriam on her bathing suit during younger years" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miriam on her bathing suit during younger years working for the government.Photo credit: inquirer.net</td></tr></tbody></table>The ever-vivacious senator stated in one of her interviews regarding with her old photo in a bathing suit. Unknown to many, she was a swimming champion while in high school. She also knows to play basketball aside from that!<br /><br /><i><b>- Michael Santiago/TheSummitExpress</b></i></div>

INFOGRAPHIC: 16 Things You Need To Know About Presidential Candidate Sen. Miriam Santiago

As the stirring vibe of the upcoming elections is all over in our search for the country’s 16th president of the republic, The Summit Expres...