Ten Reasons Filipinos should vote for Miriam Defensor-Santiago as the next Philippine president

5. Recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award

In 1988, Santiago was given the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service as the commissioner of Immigration and Deportation. Santiago fought hard to prove that “a traditionally corrupt government agency can be reformed.” The prestigious Ramon Magsaysay award (dubbed as the “Nobel Prize of Asia”) recognizes social and political leaders who made contributions that transformed their societies in Asia.

6. First Pinoy in International Criminal Court

Santiago has beaten all odds by being the first Filipino as well as the first Asian from a developing country to be elected to the prestigious International Criminal Court of the United Nations in 2011. However, Santiago had to turn down the position after being diagnosed with cancer.