Presidential candidate Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON
SHE MAY have been absent from the second presidential debate on Sunday, but presidential candidate Sen.聽 Miriam Defensor-Santiago managed to make her views heard loud and clear.
The senator, who said she was undergoing a new cancer treatment, joined the televised presidential debate on Sunday through the social networking site Twitter, where she has 2.4 million followers.
During the debate, Santiago鈥檚 staff posted tweets about her stand on the issues asked of the other four presidential聽 candidates on stage: Vice President Jejomar Binay, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Sen. Grace Poe, and former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas.
Overwhelming
Santiago鈥檚 tweets received hundreds of likes and retweets, with her stand on divorce getting the most reaction:聽 3,617 likes and 3,163 retweets.
鈥淭he overwhelming social media reaction to staff tweets about the senator鈥檚 positions on key issues last night is testament to the effectivity and responsiveness of (her) program of government,鈥� the senator鈥檚 media liaison officer, Arveen Patria, said on Monday.
鈥淪enator Santiago was not at the debate, but she answered the questions she would have been asked,鈥澛� Patria continued, adding that the senator鈥檚 program of government was available on her website.
Supports divorce
On Thursday, Santiago announced that she would skip the second televised debate on March 20 at the University of the Philippines Cebu, because she would undergo a clinical trial for a 鈥渘ew, unnamed anticancer pill.鈥�
鈥淚 am very sorry to miss out on the debates, but it would be a disservice to the country if I forgo the opportunity to get rid of my cancer completely and strengthen myself further to serve the Filipino people,鈥� said the senator who was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in 2014.
While none of the other four candidates supported divorce, Santiago鈥檚 staff said she supported it on two grounds: 鈥渁ttempt on the life of a spouse by the other, and adultery or concubinage.鈥�
When Duterte and Poe raised their hands in favor of the death penalty, Santiago鈥檚 staff tweeted that the senator was 鈥渙pen to the death penalty for drug traffickers. She also maintains that the justice system should be improved.鈥�
When Duterte pressed Poe on what she would do if Philippine Coast Guard ships were attacked by China, Santiago鈥檚 staff said the senator would 鈥渁ssert Philippine national integrity and will join the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) in facing China.鈥�
While Binay, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Duterte tangled over criminality and police supervision of local executives, Santiago鈥檚 staff said the senator 鈥渨ants a leaner, better equipped police force.鈥�
Climate change
When the debate touched on climate change, her staff tweeted about Santiago鈥檚 plans to create 鈥渁 new department to focus on disaster risk reduction, management and recovery.鈥�
While the other presidential candidates promised to lower income taxes, Santiago鈥檚 staff said the senator planned to lower income and corporate taxes to 25 percent.
Like the other candidates who promised to support a proposed Freedom of Information (FOI) law, Santiago also vowed to certify the bill as urgent, her staff tweeted, adding that the senator had 鈥渋nterpellated on and introduced amendments to the FOI bill at the Senate to improve it.鈥�
After the debate, Santiago herself posted the last tweet: 鈥淭hank you very much to my volunteers who watched the (debates) in Cebu. Hugs and kisses!鈥�
Santiago鈥檚 final tweet showed a photograph of her group of supporters in red campaign shirts.
She will 鈥渢ry鈥� to participate in the third and last debate set on April 24 in Dagupan City 鈥渋f the ongoing treatments do not inhibit鈥� her, Santiago said on Thursday.