A bow to our honorable Philippine lady senators

If I were to choose the 10 best Philippine lady senators I would, after in-depth analysis and insightful research, name Miriam Defensor Santiago, Letecia Ramos Shahani, Maria Kalaw Katigbak, Tecla San Andres Ziga, Loren Legarda, Eva Estrada Kalaw, Helena Benitez, Santanina Rasul, Risa Hontiveros, and Geronima Pecson, the first Filipina woman ever to be elected to the Senate. I have my reasons. If you have other choices, I respect them.

In the 19th Congress, from 2022 to 2025, we have seven, the highest number of female legislators among all congresses since 1946, namely: Senate President Protempore Loren Legarda, and senators Risa Hontoveros, Nancy Binay, Pia Cayetano, Imee Marcos, Grace Poe, and Cynthia Villar. In the 18th Congress from 2019 to 2022 we only had six: Binay, Cayetano, Leila de Lima, Imee, Poe, and Villar. In the 17th Congress from 2016 to 2019 there were six: Binay, De Lima, Hontiveros, Legarda, Poe, and Villar. In the 16th Congress from 2013 to 2016 there were six: Binay, Cayetano, Santiago, Legarda, Poe, and Villar. In the 15th Congress from 2010 to 2013 there were only three: Cayetano, Santiago, and Legarda. In the 14th Congress from 2007 to 2010 there were four: Cayetano, Santiago, Legarda, and Jamby Madrigal.

The 13th Congress from 2004 to 2007 there were four: Cayetano, Santiago, Loi Estrada (the wife of President Estrada), and Madrigal. In the 12th Congress from 2001 to 2004 there were only two: Tessie Aquino Oreta (sister of Ninoy Aquino) and Estrada. In the 11th Congress, from 1998 to 2001, there were four: Tessie Oreta, Nikki Coseteng, Legarda, and Santiago. The 10th Congress from 1995 to 1998 had three: Coseteng, Arroyo, and Santiago. The 9th Congress from 1992 to 1995 had three: Coseteng, Arroyo, and Rasul. The 8th Congress, the first after the EDSA Revolt, from 1987 to 1992, had two: Rasul and Shahani.

The 7th Congress from 1970 to 1973, the last before Marcos abolished the Senate under martial law, had three women senators: Magnolia Antonino, Helena Benitez, and Eva Estrada Kalaw. The 6th Congress, from 1966 to 1970 had four: Antonino, Kalaw, Katigbak, and Ziga. The 5th Congress from 1962 to 1965 had only one woman in the Senate: Katigbak. The 4th Congress from 1958 to 1961 had only one: Pacita Madrigal Gonzales (the aunt of Madrigal). The 3rd Congress from 1954 to 1957 had only one: Gonzales. Pacita Gonzales or Manag Pacita was a daughter of Don Vicente Madrigal, a multi-millionaire shipping tycoon and also a former senator himself.

The 2nd Congress from 1950 to 1953 only had Geronima Pecson, the first female senator of the republic. The first Congress was from 1946 1949. That was when Pecson broke the gender barrier and had herself elected as the first-ever female senator. That honor was denied to Filipinas from 1901 to 1946.

We chose Miriam Defensor Santiago as the best female senator because of her brilliance, boldness, and her mastery of the law. No one could ever defeat her in any debate in the Senate or outside. She might have been the best president of the Philippines that we never had. She voted “no” in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona and she took very risky and unpopular positions in the Senate deliberations, legislative investigations, and even public interviews. She was a professor of Law, a prolific writer of law books and a well-recognized expert in Constitutional Law and International Law. We also chose Letty Ramos Shahani because she was a no-nonsense legislator and diplomat. An expert in foreign relations and diplomacy. She was the daughter of Narciso Ramos, our first ambassador to the US and signatory of the Bangkok Declaration which became the charter of ASEAN. Letty was the younger sister of President FVR.

Tecla San Andres Ziga was the first woman Bar topnotcher and the mother of Senator Victor Ziga. We do not have space and time to tell you about the rest. But one thing I can say: The women legislators are more hardworking, conscientious, and focused on their legislative works. Most of the best laws, in fact, were authored by women senators. We should elect more women as senators. The best man for the job is always a woman. And if you want to make things happen, assign the task to a woman. Tried and tested, they will deliver beyond our expectations.