LAGUNA, Philippines – The online world shifts emotions with every word thrown by the candidates, particularly Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. (READ: Virtual battlefield: How bets fared in final debate)  

After the third and last leg of #PiliPinasDebates2016, many undecided young voters considered Santiago as their presidential candidate.

Joshua Jared C. Joven, a student, posted on Facebook his own take on how Santiago nailed the debate.

“Maraming nag-aalala para kay Sen MDS esp on how fast she talks. Meron nga syang pauses and sits down whenever she’s not asked to talk, but it is because she has JUST surpassed cancer.

“Another, tagalog/Filipino is her 3rd language. Bisaya is 1st and English is 2nd. Matigas talaga ang dila nya when speaking the nat’l language and she really gives more time to think on which words to use. Kahit panoorin ninyo pa mga interviews/ speeches nya from the past, she really speaks slow with Tagalog.

“Kaya kung tatanggalin yung factor na obvious sa kung paano umasta si MDS by every one who finds her weak, malamang she is the winner of this debate.”

(Many expressed concern for Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, especially on how fast she talks. She pauses and sits down whenever she’s not asked to talk, but it is because she has JUST surpassed cancer. 

Tagalog/Filipino is her 3rd language. Bisaya is 1st and English is 2nd. Her accent is strong when speaking the national language and she really takes more time to think of which words to use. Even if you watch her interviews and speeches from the past, she really speaks slow with Tagalog.

Remove these minor issues, and she is likely the winner of this debate.)

In a poll question asked in the group page Campus Journalist Ako as to who ranked the highest in the debate, Santiago and Rody Duterte placed 1st and 2nd, respectively.

A student of Laguna State Polytechnic University-Sta.Cruz found the Santiago-Robredo tandem a good one.

Netizens were amazed at Santiago’s determination. Though she often paused to catch her breath or recover her thoughts, she showed that she’s still very much part of the race. 

Some of the youth voters posted these quotable quotes from Santiago: 

“I will not quit,” the senator who’s battling lung cancer said during the debate. 

She has not been that visible on the campaign trail compared to the 4 other presidential candidates, only campaigning to the youth by delivering speeches in universities. 

In her closing statement at the last presidential debate, Santiago declared: “We all want to change the world for the better. But the person who prayed should be emulated. He said, ‘God, preserve this country and begin with me.'” – With reports of Karla Sambajon and James Andrew Malihan/Rappler.com

Abigail Abigan is Rappler’s lead mover in Laguna and Quezon provinces.