Feisty Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Monday branded Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno an “avatar of corruption” and accused the Cabinet official of orchestrating the series of petitions to sabotage her reelection.

In a privilege speech, an indignant Santiago identified Puno as the “punong magikero” (chief magician) that is behind the disqualification case before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the disbarment petition at the Supreme Court against her.

But more than the petitions, Santiago bared Puno’s “disturbing tactics” for the elections which include the ominous transfer of the fighting capability of the national police to Metro Manila and the equally ominous transfer of local police chiefs, starting last Jan. 9, 2010.

“An avatar is an embodiment of an idea, as in, Ronaldo Puno is the avatar of corruption and electoral fraud in the Philippines. Puno, the DILG secretary, should be known as Punong Magikero because he is devoted to the occult arts,” Santiago said.

“The punong magikero has been trying to live up to his self-proclaimed reputation as a political operator, meaning a person who manipulates his principal into the belief that electoral fraud and subsequent governmental corruption will result in victory,” Santiago said.