Despite cancer, Miriam still top Senate performer

MANILA, Philippines - Despite her being diagnosed with lung cancer and forced to take an extended leave due to chronic fatigue syndrome, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago has still managed to perform her duties at the Senate, even emerging with the most number of bills and resolutions filed.

While she has not been able to attend the plenary sessions of the Senate for more than a year, Santiago has been able to file various bills and resolutions, and occasionally presides over some confirmation hearings of the Commission on Appointments.

As of end-2014, Santiago filed a total of 1,007 bills and resolutions.

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada came in second with a total of 604, followed by Antonio Trillanes IV with 307, Manuel Lapid with 219, and JV Ejercito, 217.

Among the 538 bills she filed in 2014 were proposals for the institutionalization of an age-appropriate curriculum with focus on preventing child abuse, stricter monitoring of bank accounts of politically exposed persons, part-time employment in place of retrenchment, and increasing court-awarded damages for death.

Her resolutions include calling for inquiries in aid of legislation into Vice President Jejomar Binay’s ownership of a farm in Batangas, projects undertaken by the controversial Hilmarc’s Construction Corp.; constitutionality of the Visiting Forces Agreement, and a case of abduction in Makati City.

Santiago urged her colleagues to work on passing a number of her proposed legislation before the end of sessions in 2016, including the Anti-Commercialization of Human Organs, Tissues or Parts of Living Persons Bill; the Anti-Epal Bill; the Anti-Political Dynasty Bill; Billboard Regulation Bill; Call Center Bill; Child Care Centers Bill; Certificate of Intention to Run for Public Office Bill; Clear Sidewalks Bill; Compulsory Teaching of Ethics Bill; Deceased Donor Bill; HIV and AIDS Bill; Magna Carta of Workers in the Informal Sector; Pthalate-Free Toy Bill; Special Education Bill; Magna Carta for Philippine Internet Freedom, and Whistleblowers Bill.

As chairperson of the Senate committee on foreign relations, Santiago presided over hearings on the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement and the murder of transgender Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude.

She also spearheaded ratification by the Senate of several treaties including the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA), and the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response.