We’re not even kidding: Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago says she is going to form and lead a Tibet Support Group in the Philippines.

Defensor-Santiago said Lhakpa Tshoko, representative of the Dalai Lama, asked her in August to form a group in the Philippines to support Tibetans advocating autonomy and religious freedom under China.

“As a longtime advocate for Tibet, I am honored to accept this request. I am confident that the Tibet Support Group in the Philippines will be of great help to the cause,” she said.

"I am a simple Buddhist monk — no more, no less."

Defensor-Santiago’s support may prove crucial in the Tibetan struggle. The Dalai Lama, for all his wisdom and saffron robes, has made little progress in changing the situation in Tibet since he went into exile in 1959.

In an informal poll, 100% of Tibetans surveyed “strongly agreed” that Tibet is still part of China.

Defensor-Santiago, who, in 2007, accused the Chinese of inventing corruption and is known for storming out of Senate sessions after beating the crap out of her enemies with her extensive vocabulary, may just be the voice that Tibet needs.