A man of his word
Born in the idyllic town of Mauban in Quezon, Rene Augusto V. Saguisag finished law at San Beda College in 1963. He was admitted to the Bar in the same year, placing sixth in its examinations. He declined working as a corporate lawyer, but opted to represent the poor and downtrodden as a human rights lawyer.
During the 20 years of Marcos rule, 13 years of which were under a dictatorship, Saguisag flitted from one court to another arguing for human rights victims, who could not afford legal services. He was always seen carrying thick folders of his clients and driving a worn-out car. Most cases were pro-bono; He did everything for the love of humanity.
Saguisag was among the founders of Movement of Attorneys for the Advancement of Brotherhood, Nationalism, and Integrity (MABINI), a group of lawyers, who attended to victims of human rights abuses. Joker Arroyo, Jejomar Binay, Fulgencio Factoran Jr. and several others were his colleagues in that group.
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