Ni NOEL ABUEL
Inaprubahan na ng Senado sa ikatlo at huling pagbasa ang panukalang batas na nagpapalit ng pangalan sa Agham Road at BIR Road sa Quezon City at gagawing Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago Avenue.
Unanimous ang naging boto pabor sa House Bill No. 7413, o mas kilalang “An Act renaming the Agham Road and the BIR Road, stretching from North Avenue, traversing through Quezon Avenue up to East Avenue, all located in Quezon City, as Senator Miriam P. Defensor-Santiago Avenue”.
Nagpasalamat naman si Senador Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., pangunahing may-akda ng nasabing panukala, sa suporta ng mga kapwa nito senador kabilang sina Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” F. Zubiri, Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, at Senador Sonny Angara.
“Nagpapasalamat po ako sa ngalan ng mga bisita natin ngayong hapon – Atty. Narcisco “Jun” Santiago the husband of the late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, as well as their family and friends. We thank our colleagues for the swift passage of this measure which our former colleague has deservedly earned – with all members, being made co-sponsors, and a number of our colleagues being authors,” sabi ni Revilla na tinukoy rin sina Senador Alan Cayetano, Senador Lapid,
Senador Tolentino at Senador Cynthia Villar.
Personal na tinanggap ng pamilya ni Defensor-Santiago ang parangal at pagkilala kabilang ang kabiyak ng dating senador na si Atty. Narciso “Jun” Santiago Jr.
“Malinaw na sumasalamin ito sa ating nagkakaisang pagtingala at paghanga hindi lamang sa mga nakamit, kundi sa mga makabuluhang kontribusyon ni Sen. Miriam sa ating lipunan noong siya ay nabubuhay pa.
She has truly left a legacy that, to this day, serves as our guiding light in our quest towards providing our countrymen with the kind of service she has espoused her whole life: public service punctuated by integrity and honor, standing courageously by the line of fire without fear nor bias, and always advocating for the welfare of the people above all else.
Sen. Miriam, wherever you are now, please know that you are, and will always be, a North Star in this chamber where your voice once echoed. And to your family present here today, we thank you for lending Senator Miriam to the Filipino people. Salamat dahil ibinahagi niyo siya sa amin hanggang sa mga huling araw ng buhay niya,” sa privilege speech ni Revilla.
Si Defensor-Santiago na pumanaw matapos ang sakit na lung cancer noong Setyembre 2016 sa edad na 71-anyos.
SinDefensor-Santiago ay humawak ng mataas na posisyon sa tatlong branch ng pamahalaan kabilang ang judiciary, executive, at legislative.
Sa hudikatura, nagsilbi ito bilang presiding judge ng Regional Trial Court sa Quezon City habang sabexecutive branch ay naging immigration commissioner at agrarian reform secretary at sa legislative branch ay nagsilbi itong senador sa tatlong termino.
Tinawag din si Defensor bilang “Iron Lady of Asia” at”Dragon Lady”.
“She has truly left a legacy that, to this day, serves as our guiding light in our quest towards providing our countrymen with the kind of service she has espoused her whole life: public service punctuated by integrity and honor, standing courageously by the line of fire without fear nor bias, and always advocating for the welfare of the people above all else,” ani Revilla.
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