Cover image via filipiknow.net
She's fierce and feisty
She is best known as the "Iron Lady of Asia and popular among the youth for her wit, wisdom and sincerity. Indeed, she made Philippine politics even more colorful.
1. Miriam was a swimming champion and referred to as the "child prodigy" in IloIlo
Miriam graduated at the Iloilo Provincial High School. She excelled in almost every field she engaged into. And this Includes swimming, where she emerged as a champion during a Red Cross sponsored competitions.
In her freshman year, Miriam was a Spelling Bee Champion and had been appointed editor-in-chief of the high school paper, a position she stayed with until she graduated.
2. She finished her B.A. Political Science in UP Visayas in just 3 ½ Years
Miriam decided to remain at the university for an additional semester and finish her course with a near perfect grade of 1.1. She had a 3-month illness during her graduation term, but graduated Magna cum Laude in 1965 despite of this. She also received the Rotary Award for Most Outstanding Graduate in the same year.
3. She bagged awards and set records at the University of the Philippines
Upon her entrance into U.P. Diliman Law School, Miriam took to the school in leaps and bounds. She became the first female editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, the Philippine Collegian. (Because for 50 years, only male students held the position).
Miriam made history by earning the highest number of consecutive college scholarships in UP and also was the first female student to win **"Best Debater"** between UP Manila and UP Diliman Law Schools.
4. She earned her Master of Law Degree in University of Michigan in just one year!
Miriam entered the University Of Michigan Law School after winning the DeWitt Fellowship. Her first semester she easily achieved one of the high grades ever in a short amount of time.
For her achievement in this amazing grade, Miriam was allowed to take a special program aimed at achieving her Master of Laws and Doctor of Science of Jurisprudence Degrees after only 1 ½ years.
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5. Miriam nearly died in a Tarlac car crash
On April 28th, 1991, Miriam was traveling on a highway in Tarlac taking on a speaking tour in the region. Another car smashed into the car that Miriam was riding in – she sustained life-threatening injuries and had to be airlifted by helicopter to Metropolitan Hospital in Manila.
Many to this day believe the so-called accident was in fact an assassination attempt. At the time Miriam was the Agrarian Reform Secretary and was running for presidency when the incident occurred.
6. Miriam owns 1 Million books in her personal library
Miriam has her own personal library. That library today has a collection that is nearing 1 million books and counting. Miriam has noted that she has read many of these books and none of them are for mere decoration. She has said that her favorites include historical novels by Leo Tolstoy and several other Russian authors on the noted subject.
7. She once dreamed of becoming a nun
When Miriam was young, she wanted to be a nun. She has noted to others that – at the time of her thinking this, it was sort of a fad and many of her teachers were nuns. In the end, her realization that her parents and herself were living in poverty, barely making ends meet, she had to find a way of supporting them.
8. She never liked nor had a crush on any guy
Miriam has said she never really cared for a man until she met her husband. "I really thought they were inanimate creatures. For me young men, were just pieces of furniture, you know."
9. She said she became a lawyer, because she had relatives who were criminals
Miriam desired to actually be an accomplished writer, but in the end her famous quote for becoming a lawyer was "we have a lot of relatives who are criminals."
10. Miriam almost flunked the 1969 Bar Exam
Miriam only got a 78% on her Bar Exam back in 1969. She is also noted to have only received a 56 in Ethics, one of the easiest subjects in the Bar. None of this came to light until Senator Juan Ponce Enrile took a vicious attack against Santiago in later years who claimed that she got 76%.
Miriam admitted that she nearly flunked as she was in love when she took the exam. She also was in a rebellious mentality after her father refused to let her to go Russia on a scholarship she had received.
Two of Miriam's classmates received the top spots in the Bar Exam in 1969; both were quickly hired by the top law firms of the time. They were Ronaldo Samora and **Senate President Franklin Drilon**.
11. The biggest test of her life was when her son committed suicide back in 2003
Miriam lost her son in 2003 due to suicide. According to her, she began to question God and everything he stands for. "I can't accept as an intellectual that prayer changes the mind of God," she said during an interview with veteran broadcaster Korina Sanchez. "Because if He's omnipotent, no amount of prayer can change his or her mind."
"I don't see God's handiwork in my life," she added. "Everything I got, I got by hard work and by praying to God. Maybe because the prayer didn't change the mind of God, but my mind."
12. Believe it or not, Miriam plays basketball with her husband
13. She's the Asian version of Margaret Thatcher
Santiago met Thatcher in the Philippines when she was touring in Asia. Miriam lost in the prexy elections, and Thatcher gave her an 'extraordinary sympathy and compassion, and even read the senator's book 'Cutting Edge' and praised her work.
Thatcher was called the "Iron Lady" of Asia, according to the Asia Magazine.
14. She likes listening to classical songs and Sarah Brightman
15. She is very strict when it comes to maintaining the household
**"And when there's someone new in the staff, it is read to them by someone. Or if they are a group, we have what we call an orientation seminar. I expect my home to be run like a tight ship," says Santiago in an interview.*
16. Santiago, is one of the youngest judges during the Martial Law regime. She decided in favor of UP and Ateneo students who were protesting the lavish lifestyle of former first lady Imelda Marcos.
**She was considered the first to rule against Martial Law.** "Not at all, no. I said to myself, I'd just apply everything I learned in UP and in all the schools that I went to because that's what I went to school for. Consequences didn't bother me at all," she said when asked if she's scared.
17. Santiago's net worth has increased by P29.7 million or close to 62% over the last 17 years – from P48 million in 1995 to P77.7 million in 2012
From 2012 to 2014, however, her net worth decreased by a few millions. Based on her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth for the years 2013 and 2014, her net worth dropped to P76.7 million and P73 million, respectively.
**She also made clear during her senatorial candidacy, that she didn't receive money from anyone. She spent only P500,000 from her personal funds.**
