Quezon Service Cross award for Miriam

The Senate adopted on Monday a resolution granting the late Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago the prestigious Quezon Service Cross, the highest award that the nation can give a person for outstanding civilian service.

The Upper Chamber has accepted Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 8, which moves to posthumously confer the Quezon Service Cross to Santiago.

The concurrent resolution came after President Duterte recommended some three months ago to award the highest civilian medal to Santiago.

Earlier, Senators Grace Poe and Juan Edgardo Angara filed their respective resolutions urging Duterte to award the late lawmaker the Quezon Service Cross.

After the President’s recommendation, Congress needs to concur with the proclamation for conferment of the award.

Santiago will be the sixth recipient of the prestigious award following late Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, who was granted the recognition five years ago.

Santiago, likewise, will be the first female recipient of the award.

In her sponsorship speech on the resolution Monday, Poe honored Santiago for “always striving to be the first or the best.” She also cited the late senator’s “love for country.”

Angara, co-sponsor of the resolution, for his part, recalled that Santiago was “among the few national figures who served in all branches of government – at the Judiciary as a trial judge; the Executive as Secretary of Agrarian Reform and Immigration Commissioner; and the Legislative as one of the country’s most brilliant senators.”