Miriam Defensor-Santiago: From Senate to Social Media Domination

Photo from here book "Stupid is Forever"

Manila, Philippines—The over-achieving Filipina politician, who had served in all three branches of the Philippine government—judicial, executive, and legislative. She became a judge of the International Criminal Court (the first Filipina and the first Asian from a developing country, as a matter of fact) but waived it off because she said that she was diagnosed with lung cancer last year. Apparently though, she is currently serving the Philippine Senate to date. Being a consistent leading authority of her generation in terms of constitutional law and international law, nobody ever thought of her being a social media favorite.

Yes, folks. Our favorite senator, who cracks all sorts of jokes in formal and political gatherings despite her being sick and all, had dominated the twitter and facebook universe with her followers and likers. Yes, she’s Miriam Defensor-Santiago.



We all know how she started in her early years—a child prodigy of a judge and a dean, born in Iloilo City. She won the contests she had joined in her educational years. Being in the honor roll in her colege years, she had opportunities to study in the University of Michigan, Oxford and Harvard law summer schools, Cambridge, The Hague Academy of International Law and the Maryhil School of Theology.

Miriam Defensor-Santiago had published a lot of books regarding her law expertise, but her recent book, entitled, Stupid Is Forever is clearly not about what she had studied. It is rather, a compilation of some of her craziest, wackiest, and most quotable quotes about life, love and everything in between. The book had raked good reviews and became one of the best-selling books of 2014.

Another milestone for the senator—according to a report by Philippine Star, she now has a total of 2.6 million likes on Facebook and 1.3 million followers on Twitter as of March 2015, making her the most followed senator on social media. Next to her is Senate Majority Alan Peter Cayetano and Sen. Chiz Escudero.

Among public officials, Sen. Miriam falls in second only to the President, who has 4.2 million Facebook fans and 2.5 million Twitter followers.

That aside, she is still battling with lung cancer since last year, yet she never fails to attend hearings and is going to finish her term in the senate according to Philippine Star.