Cover image via Cnnphilippines.com
Former Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, 71, succumbed to cancer on Thursday morning, her husband Atty. Jun Santiago said
"She died peacefully in her sleep this morning," Santiago said
The former lawmaker divulged in 2014 that she had stage 4 lung cancer, but amid this, she fought for her life in service to Filipinos and even run for presidency.
She is notable for having served in all three branches of the Philippine government – judicial, executive, and legislative
Some of her alma maters include University of the Philippines, University of Michigan, Oxford University, Maryhill School of Theology, University of California, Harvard University, and Cambridge University. 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 graft-ridden government agency."She ran in the 1992 presidential elections but was defeated in an election marred by allegations of impropriety by the victor. The quote, 'Miriam won in the elections, but lost in the counting.' became popular nationwide.
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