For those who admired and loved her, Miriam Defensor-Santiago was a “political prophet” for her foresight on various issues, including a pandemic which would have been addressed sooner if her proposals responding to public health emergencies were passed into law.
On her birth anniversary on Tuesday, June 15, professionals remember the late senator's initiatives to prepare the Philippines' health care system for emerging health crises, like the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak that has claimed thousands of lives of Filipinos since hitting the country last year.
Defensor-Santiago would have turned 76, had she not succumbed to lung cancer in September 29, 2016.
“Her timeless magic on stressing the country’s need for a health care system and effective response to emergencies never ceased. She had foreseen that we would need a law relating to that in the future. That’s how her magic works,” Jam Krisette Nuñez, a 27-year-old young professional.
Nuñez was referring to the proposed “Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act” filed by Defensor-Santiago in the Senate in 2013, at the height of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-COV) outbreak.
The bill sought to strengthen national response and preparedness for health emergencies, such as those resulting from natural disasters, severe weather conditions, outbreaks, and pandemics.
It called for the drafting of a “National Health Strategy for Public Health Emergencies” and the creation of a Medical Reserve Corps composed of volunteer health professionals, among others, who would be called into duty during public health emergencies.
The bill, however, languished in the Senate during the 16th Congress.
“Who would have thought that her proposed measure on the pandemic would be relevant in our ongoing fight against the COVID-19 virus and other natural disasters the country is experiencing now?” Nuñez said.
Epifania Saclamitao, a 73-year-old retired teacher, agreed, describing Defensor-Santiago as a "genius who was ahead of her time".
“Hindi siya one-sided kesehodang may tamaan siya (She was not one-sided and does not care if she offends people). We miss her wit and intelligence. Wala na tayong pambato ngayon. Wala na halos kumukontra ngayon, amen na lang ng amen (We do not have such kind of politicians today. Almost nobody counters policies nowadays and just keep agreeing),” she said.
If she were alive, President Rodrigo Duterte would have listened to Defensor-Santiago's views on how to address the pandemic, Saclamitao said.
Rhuenah Gersava, a 46-year-old dentist, also said the government would have been better prepared to address the pandemic.
"If she were alive today, we might have a better healthcare system and would be strategically prepared against COVID-19," Gersava said.
Defensor-Santiago was known as the “Iron Lady of Asia" and the “Dragon Lady” for her fearless views on issues.
She was the first Asian to be elected as a judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the first Filipino elected as a commissioner for the International Development Organization. She had also worked as Legal Officer at the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva, Switzerland.
She also served as a special assistant at the Department of Justice during the pre-martial law years; a judge at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court; a commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation; and a Secretary of the Agrarian Reform.
Defensor-Santiago was also one of the most decorated public figure in the country, having been a Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Government Service, which was also considered as the Asian equivalent of the Nobel Prize.
She was also the sixth and only woman in history to receive the Quezon Service Cross, the highest recognition service by the Republic of the Philippines.
”We rarely see a politician with a broad and bold voice to answer detractors and correct the flaws and corruption in the country. Her image boosted women’s ability to speak out and be fearless. She’s still remembered as a brilliant gem of the Philippines. We miss that kind of magic gem now,” Nuñez said.
"To the best President we never had, Happiest Birthday in Heaven," Gersava said.