June bride Miriam getting Noy as best man

Manila, Philippines - President Aquino has been asked to be the best man when Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and her husband of 40 years, Narciso Santiago Jr., renew their vows at the Manila Cathedral on June 19.

The office of Santiago has started distributing applications for media accreditation for the coverage of the event, dubbed at the Senate as the “wedding of the year.”

The feisty senator will be a June bride, remarrying her husband whose nickname is Jun during the wedding month.

If Aquino is best man, the bridesmaid is reportedly actress Heart Evangelista.

Despite the apparent differences in their political views, Sen. Santiago has reportedly chosen Aquino as the best man for their renewal of vows because the President’s father, the late Sen. Ninoy Aquino, was also one of the sponsors at the couple’s wedding 40 years ago.

Miriam and Jun were schoolmates at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.

Sen. Santiago was appointed head of the Bureau of Immigration during the term of former President Corazon Aquino, mother of the current president. Santiago was later appointed agrarian reform secretary.

During their marriage, the couple did not have major scandals except for the suicide of one of their sons several years ago in their Quezon City residence.

The incident left the family, especially Sen. Santiago, devastated, but it also prompted her to return to public service.

Santiago never stopped after that. She won another term as senator last year.