Miriam won’t make her medical records public

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago has turned down a doctor's request that she make public her medical records to show that she was healthy enough to take on the presidency if she wins in the 2016 presidential elections, radio station dzBB reported on Tuesday.

Santiago, who declared last year that she had Stage Four lung cancer, filed a certificate of candidacy for president on Friday. She said earlier last week that she already won her battle against the lethal disease.

An open letter, written by Dr. Sylvia Estrada Claudio, then circulated over the social media. She was asking Santiago to reveal her medical records so the public will know whether she was fit to be president if she wins in next year's elections.

@senmiriam naggiit ng right to privacy, walang balak pagbigyan ang hamon ng isang doktora na isapubliko ang kaniyang medical records @dzbb

— Nimfa R. Ravelo (@nimfaravelo) October 20, 2015

"No. Because that's my right to privacy. If she wants to, she can formally ask there in writing, then St. Luke's will follow their protocol," Santiago told reporters in an phonepatch interview.

"Sa Civil Code and Criminal Code, di pwedeng pilitin ang pasyetnte na ibunyag ang relasyon nila ng doktor nya," she added.

"Kung tingin niya sinungaling ako, karapatan nya yun pero wala tayong karapatan na dahil tumatakbo ang isang tao sa pagka-presidente, pipilitin nang ilabas di lang medical records nya, lahat na. Magiging violation of human rights," Santiago said.

"Anong ibig nyang sabihin, di ako nagka cancer? Ba't ako nag-absent ng isa't kalahating taon? Wala naman sa record ko na nagbulakbol," she added. -NB, GMA News