MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago said yesterday “a certain notorious Cabinet member” was behind the death threat she received, and the disqualification case filed against her, both last Monday.
“I will name the Cabinet member when the Senate resumes session in January. With my parliamentary immunity, media can then freely identify him without facing libel charges,” Santiago said.
Santiago said in interviews that she herself received a death threat by telephone in her Quezon City home on Monday, at the same time that staff members in her Quezon City office were getting a copy of the “scurrilous” petition against her.
“This is the handiwork of a PR (public relations) firm hired by the Cabinet member to avenge himself against my public hearings, which showed he has stolen billions from public funds,” she said.
“The timing alone is meant to unnerve me just before Christmas,” she added.
The senator said that both the death threat and the disqualification case came on the same day that the latest Pulse Asia survey results ranked her among the top four senatorial candidates.
“An unknown male voice told me in Tagalog to stop speaking at rallies, or else something dire would happen to me. So shoot me. I don’t scare easy. If the Cabinet member is serious, he should hire physical assassins to shoot me on a platform stage. That way, the public will see how vicious he is,” she said.
“In my first political rally with the NP (Nacionalista Party), I gave a running account of the corruption scandals I investigated, such as the euro generals, publicly-funded TV infomercials, and the malversation of billions in road users’ funds. In all these scandals, the Cabinet member was involved,” she said.
Santiago also said that the petition to disqualify her was in itself proof of a smear campaign, because it delivered “a dirty low blow.”
In the seven-page petition, it was claimed that Santiago lost her son in 2003 not to suicide.
“This is not an ordinary smear campaign. It is political sadism, intended to make me rewind my maternal anguish,” she said.
Santiago said that she expects the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to summarily dismiss the petition, because the deadline was Dec. 6, but the petition was filed only on Dec. 21.
The senator said her legal staff would file separate disbarment complaints with the Supreme Court against both the petitioner and his lawyer, on grounds of deceit, malpractice, violation of the lawyer’s oath, and other unethical conduct.
Malacañang has expressed alarm over Santiago’s allegations and said the senator should provide details so the authorities could act on the matter. – With Paolo Romero
By Aurea Calica
The Philippine Star
Updated December 23, 2009 12:00 AM
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