Rene Saguisag practiced law as a prominent human rights lawyer in the Philippines from 1972 to 1986. He was among the opposition figures targeted for arrest by President Ferdinand Marcos' administration upon the declaration of martial lawin September 1972, and he spent several months in jail without being charged of a crime. Upon his release from prison, he joined the Free Legal Assistance Group, an organization founded by fellow oppositionist Jose Diokno.
Saguisag ran for the Senate of the Philippines in 1987, promising during the campaign that he would only run for one term. He won the election, placing ninth out of twenty-four winning positions. This earned him a six year term along with the other top 12 senatorial winners, and he stayed in the Senate until the end of his promised one term, in 1992. As a senator, Saguisag served as Chairman of the Committee on Ethics and Privileges. He also served on the "ad hoc" committee on the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant. He was the primary author of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, co-author of the Ombudsman Act of 1989, and was one of the 16 senators who voted against the extension of the U.S. military bases treaty in 1991. Rene Saguisag was one of only two Filipino senators who attended all 415 session days from July 1987 to June 1990.
Post-Senate career
Following his departure from the Senate, Saguisag became one of the leading defense lawyers in the corruption trial of former President Joseph Estrada. Before President Estrada stepped down from Malacañang on account of the plunder case filed against him, right after the Philippine Centennial Celebration, Saguisag was appointed by Estrada to head the Ad Hoc and Independent Citizens' Committee with members Atty. Francis Pangilinan, Engr. Fiorello Estuar, USec. Antonio M. Llorente, and Corazon dela Paz. AHICC was created by President Estrada on February 24, 1999 through Administrative Order No. 53 to investigate if there were irregularities that transpired during the preparations and celebrations of Philippine Centennial Anniversary. AHICC found that the bidding for certain centennial projects had been rigged, that certain documents used in the bidding had been falsified, and that certain signatures on documents were forged.
Atty. Saguisag is currently an columnist for the Manila Times, and is still actively teaching in both San Beda Mendiola and Alabang Constitutional Law and Human Rights Law.
Family
Rene and Dulce's youngest daughter, Kaissa Saguisag is a gymnast, but a knee injury ended her quest for gold at the 24th Southeast Asian Games.
