Miriam hits talakitok, ‘fat cow disease’

She once called her enemies "fungus-faced." Now re-electionist Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago is railing against rich people afflicted with "fat cow disease" (FCD) and the "talakitok" (jack) who she said stole the presidency from her.

Speaking before some 5,000 supporters of deposed President Joseph Estrada during the LDP-Puwersa ng Masa grand proclamation rally at the Pinaglabanan Shrine in San Juan Saturday night, Santiago said she decided to seek re-election to defend the Constitution.

She said the Charter was not respected by former President Fidel Ramos, whom she likened to a local fish with prominent gills (talakitok), and the Makati rich who orchestrated the ouster of Estrada.

"Ramos is the grandfather of EDSA Dos. Iyang talakitok na iyan na dinaya ako noong 1992 at iyang mga mayayaman na iyan ay lalabanan ko (I will fight that jack who cheated me in 1992 and those filthy rich)," Santiago said.

She said FCD is even more dangerous than "Mad Cow Disease" (MCD) because if the Makati rich afflicted with FCD are being fed to the cattle, the cattle will die.

"I am now public enemy no. 1 of the Makati rich. I will not turn my back on them and I will fight them face to face. Ramos and the Makati rich masterminded EDSA II because they cannot get (delihensiya) anything from the Estrada administration," she said.

Text jokes, on the other hand, blame Santiago for spreading bovine spongiform encephalopathy or MCD which has ravaged the cattle industry in Western Europe.

Meanwhile, Santiago challenged Bettina Aboitiz and Rosanna Tuason Fores to a fistfight for disrespecting the Constitution and being unreasonable.

Fores and Aboitiz were the two women who were ejected from the gallery during the Senate impeachment trial, along with anti-crime crusader Dante Jimenez, for alleged misbehavior during the trial.

"Kung hindi sila rumirispeto sa batas at hindi naniniwala sa rason ay magsuntukan na lang kami (If they don’t respect the Constitution and they don’t listen to reason, I might as well challenge them to a fistfight)," she said.

Santiago said the May 14 elections are a rare chance for Filipinos to fight for democracy. –Jose Rodel Clapano