Miriam’s tough talk

The fiery outburst of Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago during a committee hearing of the Commission on Appointments reminded people just how feisty the senator can be. With some of the committee members running late and with Ilocos Norte Congressman Rudy Fariñas insisting that a quorum for the confirmation of nominees for various Foreign Affairs posts was needed — the tough senator from Iloilo got ticked off.

In a typically cutting remark, Miriam blasted what she described as “legislative abuse,” saying: “I forced myself to come here to avoid prejudice to the 50 nominees from the DFA. Now he wants all their majesties from the House of Representatives to come at their own sweet time and for all of us to wait at their pleasure?”

Undoubtedly — Miriam is still in fighting form, “ready to punch” her foes despite her current illness which she announced last July as Stage 4 lung cancer. According to the senator, every day she takes an expensive “magic tablet” that takes the place of chemotherapy without the debilitating effects. So far, the treatment seems to be going well with 80 percent of the cancer tumor having vanished according to her. A stickler for discipline, Miriam even joked during her announcement that the cancer cells are showing “excellent discipline” because they have not metastasized — which only goes to show that even tumors know better than to incur the ire of the gutsy senator.

Staring death in the face has made Miriam Santiago unafraid of anything and anyone. When she was Immigration Commissioner, she famously said, “I eat death threats for breakfast,” putting criminals to jail — from pedophiles to smugglers to traffickers and illegal passport producers. Her in-your-face quotable quotes have made Miriam extremely popular with the youth. She articulates the sentiment of many people with deadly accuracy, spiced by acerbic wit and just the right amount of contempt. Using her quotable quote – these criminals and scum of the earth are “the reasons why God created the middle finger.”

Miriam’s kind of tough talk has obviously struck a very strong chord among angry and frustrated Filipinos who feel that toughness and decisiveness are what this country needs more than ever  — what with everything seeming to go helter-skelter from the horrific traffic to disastrous MRT accidents, to DAP, PDAF and tales of corruption. For one thing, the scalawags are very much back in the game, with members of the PNP seemingly not content with kotong and petty mulcting activities but big time crimes like fake drug busts, kidnapping and even murder-for-hire services.

It would seem the PNP needs someone like Miriam Santiago to whip it into shape. Lately, the image of the institution has been tainted with the confidence of the people eroded again. Instead of being welcome, policemen nowadays are suspected of being criminals in uniform. It seems PNP standards have deteriorated, with some officers failing to set a good example to their men. In fairness though, we still have many friends in the PNP, both retired and active, dedicated to duty like PNP General (ret.) Art Lomibao and PNP Brigadier General Moro Lazo.

But then, what can one expect when no less than Chief PNP Director General Alan Purisima himself seems to be lowering the standards for the organization, proposing to downgrade the educational qualifications of police candidates from college degree holders to high school graduates? Purisima made the proposal even before his confirmation as PNP chief, ostensibly because some think it beneath them to patrol the streets or direct traffic.

Arrogance and a sense of entitlement seems to have replaced dedication to duty, not to mention “Service, Honor, Justice” — words on the PNP seal that should guide the thoughts and actions of the men and women in uniform. Unfortunately, this arrogance and sense of entitlement is carried over by some bad eggs when they leave the service. Take for instance that minor traffic incident involving US FBI agent Lamont Siler from the US Embassy and the owner of a Toyota SUV who was travelling in tandem with his barong-clad security entourage. It turns out the SUV owner is a former Bataan provincial police acting chief. A perfect example of the arrogance of power from a former police officer and his men — pointing a shotgun, dragging Siler out of his car then punching him. Make no mistake: the United States government will not let this pass.

I’m told by some of my media friends that they noticed the haughty attitude of Purisima, saying the country’s top cop does not even have the courtesy to return calls. Anti-crime watchdog group Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption also decries the “weak leadership” of Purisima, demanding his resignation and saying his exit will save PNP especially because controversies and allegations of corruption plus anomalous transactions worth millions follow Purisima like a sticky shadow.

That’s why when Miriam floated the idea of running again possibly with Senator Grace Poe as a potential running mate, the idea caught on fast among many especially the youth — an estimated three million of whom will be casting their votes for the first time in 2016. These kids think the “Iron Lady of Asia” rocks because of the hilarious pick-up lines that they have come to anticipate every time she is on a speaking engagement.

It is said that some people fear death the most. But in the case of a lot of people, what they fear most is being on the wrong side of Miriam Santiago — with her sharp, fiery tongue that can cut you to pieces in a second. Who knows, she may just be what the country needs.

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