Presidential candidate Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago announced that she will be skipping the second leg of the highly anticipated Comelec Presidential debates which will be held this coming Sunday in Cebu City. Sen. Miriam cites health reasons as the culprit of her attendance in this year’s second national debates for presidential candidates.
The senator was quoted as saying “I am very sorry to miss out on the debates, but it would be a disservice to the country if I forego the opportunity to get rid of my cancer completely and strengthen myself further to serve the Filipino people,” Santiago said.
In a statement issued Thursday, Santiago said she will undergo a clinical trial for a “new, unnamed anti-cancer pill” on March 20, the same day of the Comelec-initiated debate scheduled in Cebu City.
The senator earlier announced that she already conquered cancer when she announced her intent to run for president, the feisty lawmaker has always been positive about her health, even saying that “nobody dies of cancer anymore as long as you have the money.”
Santiago on Thursday said she volunteered to be part of an international clinical trial to be able to get hold of the medicine, which reportedly costs half a million pesos for every three weeks of treatment. The clinical trial also requires the senator to undergo outpatient radiation treatments.
Although the senator already announced that she will not attend the second leg of the debate hosted by TV5, Sen. Santiago noted that she will try her best to attend the third and last presidential debate scheduled on April 25 at the University of Pangasinan in Dagupan City.
