Quotes from Miriam Defensor-Santiago

I have passed all the physical hardships known to man.

Barring public demand, any person who pursues the presidency out of personal ambition must be suffering from a basic genetic defect.

That's the very essence of pork barrelism, when you give a huge lump sum to a person and say, 'Well, tell us what you want it for, but you are free to decide where to spend it on.'

The Philippines will have to once and for all abandon its full-spectrum dependence on America as a guarantor of its national security.

I am a bankable candidate.

What makes me angry is when people know what is right but have, over the years, attuned themselves to the fact that what they're doing, stealing money from government, is acceptable.

Although I may not be sweet, I am full of passion.

Everything in politics is politically motivated, didn't you know?

Since we all know that death is inevitable, I don't really see the difference between dying now and dying a decade later. So if I'm threatened with assassination, I welcome it!

Society leaders have urged me to seek the presidency.

I do not have any strong desire to remain in government. When my task is done, I shall be happy to leave and enhance my love life with my husband.

I don't think so-called high technology matters in death. I think they had high technology before Noah's Ark. And it got lost because that was the first Ice Age.

Entering politics is a fate worse than death.

I'm not in the habit of going to a psychologist. I psychologize myself.

Energy is always a matter of psychology for every individual.

There are five requirements for an accused to turn state witness. One of the requirements is that the accused does not appear to be the most guilty.

As a factual matter, as in countries all over the world, technology and business practices have been running faster than legal responses and developments.

The Dalai Lama has taught me that the best way to live life is to try and avoid desire. Desire is really the basic source of unhappiness.

We are legislators, not public works contractors. People look up to us to make serious laws that could change the lives of a great number of people or could change the way society is run or managed.

I articulate the deepest need of the Filipino people, which is reform of a corrupt culture.

I refuse for any person or organized group to dictate to me what God is. That is really the height of insufferable hubris. I believe in just immediately putting to death or just putting over the cliff people who assume they know about God.

My father said, 'Aren't you going to do anything to help people? We have a whole rack of relatives who are always breaking the law. At least help your relatives.' And so that's what I did.

There is simply too much corruption, too much money available for the taking.

It is illegal for the budget department to discriminate among senators.