The BIR-Agham Road in Diliman, Quezon City was formally renamed Senator Miriam P. Defensor-Santiago Avenue during a ceremony on Saturday.
The ceremony was held almost a month after Republic Act (RA) No. 11936 that renames the road, stretching from North Avenue and traversing through Quezon Avenue up to East Avenue, into Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago Avenue, lapsed into law.
RA 11963 was passed by the House of Representatives on March 21 and was approved by the Senate on Aug. 14.
Vice President Sara Z. Duterte paid a tribute to the late senator as she led the ceremony with Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, Quezon City 1st District Councilor Juan Carlos Atayde, and Dra. Linnea Defensor-Evangelista and Narciso Santiago, sister and husband of the late senator, respectively.
In her speech, Duterte said the road would serve as an expression of the country’s gratitude to the late legislator who fought for truth and upheld legal brilliance while fighting against corruption in the government.
The Vice President is hopeful that her legacy would inspire future generations.
“May this road serve as an expression of our gratitude for a remarkable and unforgettable and colorful Filipina who fought for truth and upheld legal brilliance while fighting against corruption in the government,” Duterte said.
“She embodied integrity in a society that often lacked it, especially in our pursuit for genuine public service. May this road serve as a reminder of her lasting legacy and motivate us to follow in her footsteps,” she added.
The Vice President led the unveiling of the Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago Avenue signage.
Called the “Iron Lady of Asia” and “Dragon Lady,” Defensor-Santiago was the first Asian judge elected to the International Criminal Court and the first Filipino elected as commissioner for the International Development Organization.
She also served as a legal officer at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva, Switzerland.
In 1988, Defensor-Santiago received the Magsaysay Award for Government Service, known as the Asian counterpart of the Nobel Prize, “for bold and moral leadership in cleaning up a graft-ridden government agency.”
She held positions in all three branches of the government — a senator for three terms, a presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court in Quezon City and commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration.
Defensor-Santiago died at the age of 71 on Sept. 29, 2016, two years after she was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. (PNA)