Santiago may give up duties as ICC judge

MANILA, Philippines -Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago has sought permission from the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague to delay her assumption as judge because she has yet to fully recover from her acute fatigue syndrome which has also prevented her from going to the Senate.

Santiago said she might be forced to give up her duties as ICC judge if her health would not improve. Vitamin D deficiency is the cause of her muscle weakness and it might take three to six months to recover.

“I will in effect tell them to give me three months more since they expect me this September. If I am still not fit, I will simply waive my election actually,” the veteran lawmaker said yesterday.

Santiago however said that if she won’t be able to go to the ICC, it would be too unfortunate for her enemies who have been pressuring her to leave.

“I am afraid I am a ghost, which has keep recurring in the Philippine history,” she added in jest.

On a serious note, Santiago disclosed plans to seek medical treatment in the United States to get an exact diagnosis of her sickness.

“Because I have been like this for half a year now, I have to go to America because I have a sister there who has been insistent and since all my records have been sent over there, that she will be able to give me my diagnosis,” she said.

She plans to go to the US for medical treatment when Congress is on break.

Although she can occasionally deliver speeches as guest in some events, Santiago said her energy is not enough to allow her to have a rigorous schedule at the Senate.

“There is no prospect at this time for me to return to the Senate. I just delivered a speech because that was my personal doctor who is in fact attending to me,” Santiago said, referring to Dr. Tyrone Reyes who spearheaded the midyear convention of the Philippine Academy for Rehabilitation Medicine at the Edsa Shangri-La in Mandaluyong City yesterday.