A freshman lawmaker on Monday stressed the importance of remembering the country’s inspiring leaders, especially those who dedicated the best years of their lives to public service.
According to Quezon City 1st District Rep. Juan Carlos “Arjo” Atayde, this is the rationale behind the measure he authored––House Bill Number 07413, “Renaming The Agham Road And The Bir Road, Stretching From North Avenue, Traversing Through Quezon Avenue, Up To East Avenue, All Located In Quezon City, As Senator Miriam P. Defensor- Santiago Avenue” which the plenary is expected to pass on third reading on this week.
After winning a seat in the Senate, Defensor-Santiago would establish herself as one of the chamber’s most outspoken and articulate voices.
“Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago was a fiery, feisty lawmaker who in her years in government proved her integrity, intelligence, and courage. Her tongue was as sharp as her intellect, and she used both to fight for the welfare of our countrymen,” said Atayde.
Atayde pointed out that renaming Agham and BIR Roads to “Senator Miriam P. Defensor-Santiago Avenue” would be “a fitting tribute for one of Quezon City’s most illustrious residents.”
“This will help us remember Senator Miriam’s outstanding career in government, and inspire those who may want to follow in her footsteps in public service.”
A judge in Quezon City who captured the imagination of the country when she was appointed head of the Bureau of Immigration, she later served as secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform and ran for president in 1992. After winning a seat in the Senate, Defensor-Santiago would establish herself as one of the chamber’s most outspoken and articulate voices.
For her work in government she would be the first woman to be awarded the Quezon Service Cross, the nation’s highest honor. She was also awarded the Magsaysay Award for Government Service, Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize.
The first Filipino and Asian to be elected a judge in the International Criminal Court, the Ilongga senator would earn titles such as “Dragon Lady,” the “Iron Lady of Asia,” and the “Incorruptible Lady.”
