algin

Personal Information

Birthdate: June 15, 1945
Birthplace: Iloilo
Spouse: Narciso Santiago, Jr.
Children: Narciso Santiago III; Alexander (deceased); Megan and Molly, both adopted from the Asilo de Molo orphanage in Iloilo City
Education

La Paz Elementary School (valedictorian, 1957)
Iloilo Provincial National High School (valedictorian, 1961)
BA Political Science, University of the Philippines (magna cam laude, 1965)
Bachelor of Laws, University of the Philippines (cum laude, 1969)
Master of Laws, University of Michigan (1975)
Doctor of the Science of Law, University of Michigan (fulfilled requirements, 1976)
graduate, California Judicial College, University of California (1985)
Doctor of Humane Letters (honoris causa), University of San Agustin (1989)
Doctor of Laws (honoris causa), Xavier University, Ateneo de Cagayan de Oro (1989)
Doctor of Laws (honoris causa), Centro Escolar University (1989)
MA Religious Studies, Maryhill School of Theology, Quezon City (candidate, 1996)
Career

senator, Philippine Senate (1995-2001; 2004-2010)
senior Partner, Miriam Defensor Santiago Associates Law Office (1992-present)
opinion columnist, "Gadfly," Today (1994)
secretary, Agrarian Reform
commissioner, Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (1988-1989)
opinion columnist, "Overview," Philippine Panorama Sunday magazine (1985-1988)
professorial lecturer, College of Law, University of the Philippines (1976-1988)
presiding judge, Regional Trial Court, Branch 106, Quezon City (1983-1987)
legal consultant, University of the Philippines Law Center (1981-1983)
legal consultant, Philippine Embassy, Washington, D.C. (1982)
legal officer, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Geneva, Switzerland (1979-1980)
special assistant to the Secretary of Justice (1970-1980)
member, Board of Censors for Motion Pictures (1977-1979)
opinion columnist, Philippines Daily Express (1972-1975)
professor of Political Science, Trinity College of Quezon City (1971-1974)
Awards

Woman of the Year Award, Sun-Star Iloilo (2000)
Award of Distinction, Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (1999)
Centennial Award for politics and legislation, National Centennial Commission (1998)
Most Outstanding Alumna Award, University of the Philippines Visayas (1997)
one of "The 100 Most Powerful Women in the World," The Australian magazine (1996)
Top Ten Newsmakers Award, Bulong Pulungan sa Westin Philippine Plaza (1996)
Outstanding Alumna Award, Iloilo National High School Alumni Association, Inc. (1995)
Most Outstanding Alumna Award, La Paz Elementary School, Iloilo City (1991)
Celebrity Mother Award, Gintong Ina Awards Foundation (1991)
Public Service Award, Pambansang Unyon ng Mamamahayag sa Medya (1991)
Golden Cross Achievement Award, 10th Battalion Combat Team Peftok Veterans (1990)
Golden Jubilee Achievement Award for public service, Girl Scouts of the Philippines (1990)
Outstanding Ilonggo Award for good government, Iloilo provincial government (1989)
Medal of Honor and Woman of the Year Award, Foundation of Phil-American Medical Society of New Jersey, Inc. (1989)
Award for International Cooperation, U.S. Customs Service (1989)
Award of Honor, Federation of Filipino-Chinese Associations of the Philippines (1988)
Magsaysay Award for government service, Ramon Magsaysay Awards Foundation (1988)
Gold Vision Triangle Award for government service, YMCA Philippines (1988)
Professional Award in law, University of the Philippines Alumni Association (1988)
Brown Visiting Fellow Award, Trinity College of Quezon City (1988)
Award of Outstanding Recognition, Iloilo National High School (1988)
Award Of Excellence In Public Service, Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (1988)
Leadership Award, Philippine Ports Authority (1988)
Woman of Distinction Award, Soroptimist International of Greater Manila (1988)
Integrity of Profession Award, Soroptimist International of Quezon City (1988)
Award of Distinction, Zonta International of Baguio City (1988)
Award of Recognition for Best Agency Productivity, Government Productivity Improvement Program Council (1988)
Award of Recognition for public service, Roman Catholic Archbishops and Bishops of Manila (1988)
Woman of the Year Award, Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (1988)
Distinguished Achievement Award, National Police Commission (1986)
TOWNS Award for Law, Philippine Lions (1986)
TOYM Award for Law, Philippine Jaycees (1985)
Affiliations

president and founder, People's Reform Party (1991-present)
chair and founder, Movement for Responsible Public Service (1990-present)
editor-in-chief, Philippine Collegian (1968)
Publications

Law
Civil Code Annotated
Constitution Annotated
Corporation Code Annotated
Election Code Annotated
Insurance Code Annotated
Local Government Code Annotated
National Internal Revenue Code Annotated
Penal Code Annotated
Rules of Court Annotated 2d. ed.
Tariff and Customs Code Annotated
Constitutional Law, Volume I - Political Structure
Constitutional Law, Volume 2 - Bill of Rights
The 1973 Constitution
International Law, With Philippine Cases and Materials and ASEAN Instruments
International Law (co-author)
Philosophy
History of Philosophy, The Great Philosophers
Political Philosophy, Theory and Issues in Politics
Philosophy of Religion, Western and Eastern Religions
Moral Philosophy, Theory and Issues in Ethics (in progress)
Politics
International Relations 2d. ed.
Politics and Governance
Christianity vs. Corruption
At the Turn of the Century: National Policy Issues in the Philippines
Cutting Edge: The Politics of Reform in the Philippines
Where Angels Fear to Tread: Politics and Religion
How to Fight Election Fraud
How to Fight Graft
Literature
Inventing Myself: an Autobiography
A Frabjous Day and Other Stories
The Miriam Dictionary
Seminars/Conventions Attended/Further Studies

head of delegation, 13th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum, VietNam (2005)
delegate, Third Session of the Consultative Assembly of Parliamentarians for the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Rule of Law, Wellington, New Zealand (2004)
fellow, Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, People's Republic of China (2002)
visiting law fellow, St. Hilda's College, Oxford University (2000)
visiting fellow, Lauterpacht Research Centre for International Law, Cambridge University (1999)
Paris-Geneva Summer Program in International Law (1998)
Summer Program in Law at Oxford University (1997)
Summer Program of Instruction for Lawyers, Harvard University (1996)
Keynote Speaker, Island Conference on Public Administration, University of Guam (1992)
fellow, Williamsburg Conference, Chiangmai, Thailand (1990)
fellow, International Visitor Program, Washington, DC and Los Angeles (1989)
fellow, Special Visits Program, Sydney and Canberra, Australia (1988)
chairperson, 13th Roundtable on Current Problems of International Humanitarian Law, San Remo, Italy (1988)
Philippine delegate, Interpol General Assembly Session, Nice, France (1987)
Secretary-General, ASEAN Women Judges Conference, Manila (1987)
fellow, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California (1985)
fellow, seminar on judicial writing and caseflow management in the trial courts, Institute of Judicial Administration, Quezon City (1984)
Philippine delegate, First International Seminar-Workshop on Managing Delay in the Courts, Manila (1983)
fellow, UN/UNITAR Programme in International Law, The Hague, Holland and Brussels, Belgium (1978)
fellow, External Session of The Hague Academy of International Law, Tokyo, Japan (1978)
fellow, Academy of American and International Law, Southwestern Legal Foundation, Dallas, Texas (1972)
chairperson, Second Philippine Goodwill Mission to the Republic of China (1968)
Philippine delegate, First Southeast Asian and Australasian Law Students' Seminar, Singapore (1967)
Issues

1992 presidential candidate. Santiago ran for President in the 1992 elections but lost to Fidel V. Ramos. Claiming she had been cheated, Santiago filed an election protest before the Supreme Court sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET). In 1996, the PET dismissed her electoral protest in on a technicality. It ruled that Santiago abandoned/withdrew her case when she ran for and won as senator in the 1995 elections, thereby rendering her election protest moot and academic.

A.R.'s suicide. Santiago's youngest son, 22-year-old Alexander Robert "A.R." Santiago, was found dead in his room with a gunshot wound in the head on November 20, 2003. Santiago said her son committed suicide: he had been depressed over his failing grades, and that the UP faculty panel who interviewed AR during an oral exam humiliated him by asking "cruel" questions (e.g. regarding Santiago's "insanity").

Santiago she said she would stay out of politics as a promise to AR, who was opposed to her political career. Months after his death, she would re-enter the political scene-- she ran for senator in the 2004 elections under President Arroyo's K4 Coalition and won.

Illnesses. Santiago had a mild stroke in April 2005. More recently, she went on sick leave in September 2006 after suffering from loss of appetite (anorexia).