MANILA – Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Thursday he regrets that he never had the chance to formally reconcile with former Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, who passed away today after a long bout with cancer.

Aguirre, then a prosecutor in the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, made the headlines after he drew Santiago’s ire when he covered his ears during one of the senator's outbursts.

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In a statement, Aguirre extended his sympathies to the Santiago family and said that he has “much to thank her for what happened to my life after that unforgettable incident during the impeachment proceedings against Chief Justice Renato Corona."

“The country lost a great mind and an indefatigable leader and public servant. We both have some faults that could easily be forgiven,” he said.

“My regret is that I had no opportunity to reconcile with her in connection with incident of February 29, 2012.”

Senator Grace Poe announced Santiago's passing Thursday, as she offered a prayer during a Freedom of Information bill hearing.

In a Twitter post, Santiago’s staff said the former senator died “peacefully” at 8:52 a.m. Thursday. The wake will be at the The Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Cubao.

Santiago's passing came just weeks after she was brought to the hospital after suffering complications.

The former lawmaker, known for being feisty and fearless, first announced on July 2, 2014 that she had been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. She was then teary-eyed speaking to reporters but still went on to tell jokes, even saying that she was "excited" she had the disease.

In October 2015, or over a year after her announcement, Santiago declared she would seek the presidency for the third time after having supposedly "conquered" cancer.