Suplico: I got higher grade in Bar than Miriam

An opposition leader in the House of Representatives reminded pro-administration Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago yesterday that he received a higher grade than her in the Bar examinations.

"I obtained a 79 in the ’89 bar, while Miriam received a 78 in 1969," Deputy Minority Leader Rolex Suplico said.

Suplico, a student of Santiago at the University of the Philippines College of Law, was reacting to his former teacher’s calling him a "dimwit."

In a privilege speech on Monday, the pro-administration senator verbally assaulted several House members for denouncing her claims that former President Corazon Aquino and Senate President Franklin Drilon were involved in a plot to oust President Arroyo. Santiago had admitted to basing her allegation on information she heard from a relative of Drilon.

She said she should not have given Suplico a passing grade.

Her former student replied: "If I am a dimwit, what is she?"

Suplico, who comes from Iloilo like Santiago, Drilon and Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, said Santiago and Drilon were UP law school classmates.

"Their batch was a distinguished group. Their No. 1 in the Bar examination is (San Juan Rep.) Ronnie Zamora, with Frank Drilon placing fourth. But they also had in that batch Ely Pamatong, better known as Spike Boy, and Miriam’s husband, Jun (Narciso) Santiago," he said.

Senator Santiago was apparently piqued by the congressmen’s insinuation that she allowed herself to be used by Malacañang in linking Mrs. Aquino and Drilon to a supposed coup plot as payback for the President’s appointment of her husband as presidential assistant on revenue enhancement.

She had also belittled Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez, a former officer in the Navy, as a "mere soldier."

"I am not a mere soldier," Golez protested, reminding Santiago that he graduated from the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, where he also obtained a BS in mathematics at the top of his class.

He said he also obtained a master’s degree in business administration from UP, where he taught business management for three years.

"And even if I were a ‘mere soldier,’ what’s wrong with that? I would be in good company with more than 100,000 mere soldiers in the Armed Forces," he added.

Another House member who was the subject of Santiago’s wrath was Loretta Ann Rosales of the party-list group Akbayan.

Rosales said she had more important things to do than tangle with Mrs. Arroyo’s staunchest Senate ally.

Meanwhile, the fight between fellow Ilonggo senators Drilon and Santiago threatened to turn nasty yesterday.

As soon as the Senate reached a quorum of 13 yesterday afternoon, Drilon banged the gavel at about the same time that Santiago uttered her first word in response to queries by reporters about her reaction to counterattacks by colleagues in the House of Representatives.

Santiago, however, ignored Drilon’s call to order and continued speaking for a few more minutes to finish her statement.

She reiterated her challenge to her detractors that they debate on television to settle the issue.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson had to remind some members of the media that the Senate president had already signaled the start of session.

Santiago and Drilon have been at odds with each other due to political differences and Santiago’s perceived ambition to take over the Senate presidency.

Santiago and Drilon are former schoolmates in UP Diliman, both from the College of Law. While she was editor of the student newspaper Collegian, he was managing editor.

The row worsened when Santiago exposed a supposed plot to physically remove Mrs. Arroyo, in which she implicated Drilon.

Sen. Sergio Osmeña III had earlier said that Drilon was heading the Senate by "sufferance," meaning that he was merely being tolerated by his colleagues. — With Christina Mendez