Miriam Defensor Santiago (born Miriam Palma Defensor; June 15, 1945 – September 29, 2016) was a Filipina academic, lawyer, judge, author, and stateswoman, who served in all three branches of the Philippine government: judicial, executive, and legislative. Defensor Santiago was named one of The 100 Most Powerful Women in the World in 1997 by "The Australian". She was known for being a long-serving Senator of the Republic of the Philippines, an elected judge of the International Criminal Court, and the sole woman recipient of the Philippines' highest national honor, the Quezon Service Cross.