MANILA, Philippines - Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago announced she is diagnosed with lung cancer.
In a press briefing at the Senate, the constitutional law expert made the announcement and even joked about her condition.
"I've had difficulty. I've always had difficulty of breath," she said. "It calls for behavioral therapy."
"My enemies may be happy, they can get rid of me. But I can survive. I came so you can see me personally," she told reporters.
"I came here to be able to kiss you, shake your hands. If I'm not able to do that, I can kiss you when I'm dead."
Santiago said she is seeking medical treatment for the cancer.
The senator said when she found out, she was "excited."
"I said 'Yes!' Because I'm entering another dimension of human life. The happy thing about my situation is my sister is a medical doctor. She is in close touch with a person considered the top, number one lung cancer specialist in the world so in effect he is my oncologist but he is doing it long distance."
Santiago, 69, was elected judge of The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) in December 2011 but announced in June that she is resigning from the post because of her illness known as chronic fatigue syndrome.
Known for her legal expertise, fiery temper and witticisms on traditional and social media, Santiago is one of the most colorful personalities in Philippine politics. She was a former immigration commissioner and secretary of agrarian reform during the presidency of Cory Aquino.
The senator who hails from Iloilo won the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service, known as the Asian Nobel Prize. - Rappler.com
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