Senate passes resolution in honor of Rasul

THE Senate on Tuesday passed Senate Resolution 226, honoring former senator Santanina Tillah Rasul, who died last week.

Rasul passed away on Nov. 28 at the age of 94.

“It is with deep sadness that I join the nation in mourning the passing of former senator Santanina Tillah Rasul, a trailblazer and the first Muslim woman to serve in the Philippine Senate,” said Senate President Chiz Escudero.

“She was a leader who broke the glass ceiling; more importantly, she shattered the glass ceiling for others, ensuring that the paths she tread would remain open for future generations of Filipino women,” Escudero added.

Rasul made history as the first Filipino Muslim woman to serve in the Senate and the first Muslim senator to win reelection.

She served as senator from 1987 to 1992 and from 1992 to 1995.

She was the author of landmark legislations, including Republic Act 6850, which grants civil service eligibility to government employees who have worked in a career civil service position for at least seven years; RA 6949, which declared March 8 as National Women’s Day; RA 7192, which opened the doors of the Philippine Military Academy to women and allocated funds for women in all government agencies; and RA 7168, which elevated the status of Philippine Normal College to Philippine Normal University.

Rasul was a member of the government peace panel in the historic peace talks with the Moro National Liberation Front during the administration of the late former President Fidel Ramos.

Minority Leader Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III said Rasul and his father, the late Senate president Aqulino Pimentel Jr., “led the fight for Mindanaoan empowerment and representation.”

“Today, we celebrate her life, memories, and the enduring impact she had on our nation. Let us honor her memory by continuing the fight for equality, justice, and the betterment of our society. Senator Santanina Rasul’s legacy will live on in the hearts of all those whose lives she touched and in the laws and policies that continue to shape our nation,” Pimentel said.