Miriam ‘does a Miriam,’ falls onstage in Turkey

In an unwitting parody of her namesake’s famous onstage gaffe, Sen. Miriam Santiago tripped and fell onstage while she was about to deliver a paper at an international forum in Istanbul, Turkey on Sunday, but received a standing ovation after managing to recover and proceed with her presentation. In a report on “24 Oras Weekend" Santiago said she fell onstage while delivering a speech in Istanbul. "(I) fell onstage while delivering a speech in Istanbul, but picked myself up, received a standing ovation, and continued with the speech," the feisty senator said in her Twitter account. (http://twitter.com/senmiriam)

The senator's stumble echoed the infamous lurch of her namesake, 1999 Ms. Philippines-Universe first runner-up Miriam Quiambao, who slipped and fell onstage during the competition. Quiambao was applauded by the audience when she collected herself, regained her composure, and finished her walk. The senator has taken an indefinite leave from her duties in the Senate, after she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, a symptom of which is fatigue. She said she still felt weak, but a check by doctors after her speech showed that her condition was stable. "Doctors told me I'll be fine. I'm alright, though a little weak," Santiago said in her Twitter account. Santiago is in Turkey to attend the annual forum of Parliamentarians for Global Action, a non-government organization. - Jerrie M. Abella/DM/KBK, GMANews.TV