Transcript of the speech delivered by Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago at her meet and greet with supporters
26 October 2015 at the U.P. Bahay ng Alumni

Allow me to introduce myself. I am the person who is seeking to run for public office next year, but because of this, at least one person on the Internet has voiced her urgent wish that I should die before six years. It is up to you whether to accommodate the macabre wishes of that person.

But as for me, I tell you today: I have passed through the hardest of all physical trepidations and hardships known to man. Cancer is not an easy disease to have. Still, thereafter, I decided, after consultation with my panel of doctors from St. Luke's [Medical Center], that it should be up to me to decide whether or not I should campaign for president again.

My answer is this: Do you want a clean government? Do you want a courageous government? Do you want a government of, by, and for academic excellence? If that is the case, do you want me?

Alam mo, napansin ko sa Senado, hindi naman pala mahirap na ipunin ang pera ng gobyerno. Ang problema sa bansa nating ito, ang magsasalita, iyun din ang magnanakaw. Pangalawa, 'pag nagsasalita sila na kunwari laban sila sa graft and corruption, mali-mali pa ang English nila. At pangatlo, ninanakaw nila ang pera ng gobyerno para 'pag nakuha nila lahat ng pera, ibibili ulit nila ng boto ng taong bayan, nang sa gayon, wala nang katapusan ang pagnanakaw ng pera ng taumbayan. This must stop.

Kaya susubukan at susubukan ko pa rin ang lahat ng magagawa ko, [kahit na] tumatanda na ako.

(Crowd: Kasama mo kami!)

Kasama mo ako? Hindi mo lang alam ang ugali ko.

Basta ako, isisige ko at isisige itong ating laban sa ating bansa. Nag-eskwela ako sa America, nag-eskwela ako sa England. Kung saan-saan ako nag-eskwela. Hindi ako tatanggap na matatalo ako ng anumang bansa. Tayo ang magaling. Filipinos, believe in yourself. Have faith in the Filipino.

For, as poetry says, "It matters not how straight the gate, how charged with punishment the scroll. I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Come and join me, and thank you very much for becoming the captain of your soul. Thank you.