Miriam seeks reelection under 6 parties, endorses no president

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Friday became the first senatorial aspirant to become a guest candidate under six political parties, but quickly stressed that she will not be endorsing any candidate for the presidential post in 2010. "I can’t (endorse) because I’m a common candidate of all (but) whoever the president might be, I’m willing to serve very humbly," Santiago told reporters in an interview at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) main office in Manila where she filed her certificate of candidacy (COC).

Santiago said she will be running under the People’s Reform Party but added that she is also a guest candidate of former President Joseph Estrada’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, Senator Manuel Villar’s Nacionalista Party, Senator Edgardo Angara’s Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, the National People’s Coalition, and the administration’s Lakas-Kampi-CMD Party. "This is my way of sending my message that I’m willing to serve, that I no longer wish to be president myself, but whoever the people will choose to be president will have my support and service," she said. She said that the only party that did not extend an invitation to her was Senator Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III’s Liberal Party (LP). "I don’t know, every time that I am invited I always answered in the affirmative and I have no invitation from the LP," said Santiago. Despite this, the senator said that if she is reelected, she will surely guide the president – whoever he or she may be – in ensuring that the Philippine Constitution is upheld.
"I am there to serve as the Godfly of the president in case he or she does not fully understand the Constitution or has overlooked something there, it will be my painful job at times to remind him of the Constitution but I’m prepared to assume that role," she said. Santiago said she didn’t gun for the presidency because she finally realized how “insignificant" her existence was. She ran for president in 1992 but narrowly lost to former President Fidel Ramos. She filed a protest but the same was junked by the Supreme Court. "I suddenly realized that I am an impotent creature in a universe that is characterized by billions of suns and trillions of planets so I’m so insignificant," she said. "I’m an expert at praising myself but i no longer want to do so." Meanwhile, Santiago said she will try to be with all the parties during the campaign period in 2010. "I will go with the party with the available itinerary during the period and i would like to do it on random so that I would have gone with each of these parties," she said. Santiago served as senator from 1995 to 2001 and from 2004 to present. She served as the Agrarian Reform chief from 1989 to 1991, Immigration chief from 1988 to 1989, and Quezon City Trial Court Judge from 1983 to 1987. - RSJ, GMANews.TV