MANILA - In an overwhelming show of love, thousands of mourners paid their final tributes to the late Senator Miriam-Defensor Santiago on Sunday.

During the last stretch of her wake at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Quezon City, supporters and loved ones left a deluge of messages in remembrance of Santiago’s legal brilliance and character.

Supporters at fans ni Sen. Miriam Santiago, nagbigay ng mga liham-pasasalamat #RIPMiriam | via @zhandercayabyab pic.twitter.com/QWLEBYOQyC

— DZMM TeleRadyo (@DZMMTeleRadyo) October 2, 2016

• READ: Miriam's grandchild leaves moving note at her wake

At a 1 p.m. funeral mass, Novaliches Bishop Emeritus Teodoro Bacani lauded Santiago as a public servant who never resorted to evil means to champion the good. He also dubbed her as the “princess for the Filipinos.”

Atty. Jun Santiago deep in prayer at the Mass for @senmiriam. #RIPMiriam

LIVE: https://t.co/MKJVga2rcg pic.twitter.com/OBuHhJoiQp

— ABS-CBN News Channel (@ANCALERTS) October 2, 2016

Hundreds of people also took to the streets amid the sweltering heat to cheer and catch sight of Santiago’s hearse on its way to the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City, where she was also greeted with thundering applause from supporters.

EARLIER: Mga tagasuporta ni Sen. Miriam Santiago, 'di napigilang dumugin ang karo | via @zhandercayabyab #RIPMiriam pic.twitter.com/2d7KvTZbH4

— DZMM TeleRadyo (@DZMMTeleRadyo) October 2, 2016

EARLIER: Funeral honors, ibinigay ng PNP sa labi ni Sen. Miriam Santiago sa Marikina | via @zhandercayabyab #RIPMiriam pic.twitter.com/EqHwvMmYoI

— DZMM TeleRadyo (@DZMMTeleRadyo) October 2, 2016

Father Aris Sison officiated the final blessing rites of the veteran lawmaker, which was attended by former Vice President Jejomar Binay, former First Lady and now Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda-Marcos, nephew and former Quezon City representative Mike Defensor, presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo and scores of political powerbrokers.

Also grieving with Santiago’s family were a sea of her youth supporters mostly clad in red, her campaign color during the May 9 elections where she lost to President Rodrigo Duterte.

With Santiago buried beside her son, Alexander, the rites ended with a 21-gun salute from the national police. Chanting "Miriam," her supporters also released doves and white balloons into the sky.

Known as the "Iron Lady of Asia" for her legal brilliance and unrelenting stance against corruption, Santiago was the first Filipino appointed to the UN-backed International Criminal Court, which tries government leaders.

She also served in all three branches of government, spending 18 years in Congress as a three-term senator who had filed the most number of bills.

Santiago was also a laureate of the Magsaysay Award for Government Service, the Asian equivalent of the Nobel Prize, and has also received awards such as The Outstanding Young Men, The Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service, and Most Outstanding Alumna in Law from the University of the Philippines.

Aside from the 2016 elections, she also had unsuccessful presidential campaigns in 1992 and 1998.

She died in her sleep on Thursday after a two-year bout with lung cancer. She was 71. -- With reports from Zhanfer Cayabyab, Jeff Hernaez and Angel Movido, DZMM