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Rene Saguisag

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In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Verceluz and the surname or paternal family name is Saguisag.
The Honorable
Rene A.V. Saguisag
File:Senator Rene Saguisag.png
Senator of the Philippines
In office
August 15, 1987 – June 30, 1992
Personal details
Born
Renito Augusto Verceluz Saguisag

(1939-08-14) August 14, 1939 (age 85)
Mauban, Tayabas (present-day Quezon province), Commonwealth of the Philippines
Political partyLiberal
SpouseDulce Saguisag (1943–2007)
OccupationLawyer, Senator, Writer, Professor

Renito Augusto Verceluz Saguisag (/sɑːɡɪsɑːɡ/, born August 14, 1939 in Mauban, Quezon, Philippines) is a Filipino lawyer and politician. He served as a Filipino Senator from 1987 until 1992.[1][2][3]

Early life

File:Childhood photo Rene A.V. Saguisag.png
Saguisag is on the right side

Rene A.V. Saguisag was born on August 14, 1939 in Mauban, Quezon, Philippines to Antonio Lozada Saguisag, Sr., an engineering graduate from the National University and Eusebia Nivadura.[4] The couple had six children including one daughter. They were Antonio, Rene, Leonidas or Idas, Precioso, Lourdes, and Rogelio or Roger.[5] Saguisag grew up in Pasig, Rizal and attended elementary school at Makati Elementary School, quickly accelerated to the second grade in a few weeks, and graduated in 1951 instead of 1952.[2] He graduated from Rizal High School in 1955, which led Saguisag to claim because he finished basic schooling in nine years the K-12 program is inconsequential for the Philippine education system.[2][6] He developed a strong interest in Chess, and skipped class at the expense of his teachers, who promoted corporal punishment, even if he was a consistent honor student.[6]

File:Rene A.V. Saguisag College Photo.png
Saguisag's graduation photo

Saguisag went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1959 from San Beda College with honor-level grades, taking one semester studying one of his favorite subjects, Spanish, at the University of the East to complete requirements.[2] He also later graduated cum laude from San Beda College with a bachelor of laws degree in 1963 and placed 6th in the same year's Bar Examinations. In order to make ends meet, Saguisag worked as a checker, laborer, construction site guard, and messenger from 1959 to 1962.[2] Saguisag then had to choose to study in Spain at the University of Navarra, or the University of Michigan, where he topped the competition for scholarships. However he was accepted into Harvard after sending a letter in what he called a rinky-dink typewriter where, "lulundag ang mga keys" (the keys would fall off). Saguisag eventually entered Harvard and obtained his Master of Laws degree from Harvard Law School in 1968 and first worked in private companies in the United States. Saguisag then started out his Philippine career as a lawyer working for Ledesma, Guytingco, Velasco and Saguisag. He became a member of the San Beda Law Faculty (Assistant Dean 1971-1972) from 1961 to 1972.[2]

Martial Law

File:Young Rene A.V. Saguisag.png
Young Rene A.V. Saguisag

Rene A.V. Saguisag then practiced law as a prominent human rights lawyer in the Philippines from 1972 to 1986 when martial law brought about multiple human rights abuses.[2] He was among the opposition figures targeted for arrest by President Ferdinand Marcos's administration upon the declaration of martial law in September 1972, and he spent several months in jail without being charged of a crime.[3] Upon his release from prison, he joined the Free Legal Assistance Group or FLAG, an organization founded by fellow oppositionist and main litigation mentors Jose W. Diokno and Lorenzo M. Tañada.[3]

Later, some FLAG lawyers including Saguisag and other prominent human rights jurists started the Movement of Attorneys for Brotherhood, Integrity and Nationalism or MABINI with former Senator Tañada, future Senator Joker Arroyo, future Labor Secretary Augusto "Bobbit" Sanchez, and others.

Presidential spokesperson

After the 1986 EDSA Revolution, he served as a spokesman for then-President-elect Corazon Aquino beginning on January 22, 1986.[2]

Philippine Senate

Saguisag ran for the Senate of the Philippines under the Liberal Party in 1987,[2] promising during the campaign that he would only run for one term.[1] 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.[2]

As a senator, Saguisag served as Chairman of the Committee on Ethics and Privileges.[4] He also served on the "ad hoc" committee on the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.[2]

He was the co-author with his Uncle Jovy Salonga of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (R.A. 6713), the main author of the Ombudsman Act of 1989 (R.A. 6770), and was one of the 12 senators who voted against the extension of the U.S. military bases treaty in 1991.[1]

Rene A.V. Saguisag was one of only two Filipino senators who attended all 415 session days from July 1987 to June 1990, frequently commuting through a taxi and bringing his own lunch instead of catering offered from the taxpayers.[2]

Post-Senate career

File:Rene A.V. Saguisag.png
Sen. Saguisag in the mid-2010s, the usual chosen representative of the old guard of nationalists

Following his departure from the Senate, Saguisag became one of the leading defense lawyers in the corruption trial of former President Joseph Estrada.[4] Saguisag's law firm, Rene A.V. Saguisag Law Office became a prominent law firm, many prominent lawyers worked under Saguisag such as Napocor President Cyril del Callar.[7]

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 (AHICC) 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.[citation needed]

Current activities

Atty. Saguisag is currently a columnist for the Manila Times with his column entitled "TGIF",[6] and is still actively teaching Constitutional Law and Human Rights Law at San Beda Mendiola and San Beda Alabang.[citation needed]

Personal life

Rene A.V. Saguisag married Dulce M. Quintans in Manila on Dec. 27, 1970. They first met in 1968 during his days at Harvard. He was granted a scholarship and chose Harvard over universities in Michigan and Spain. Rene eventually proposed saying, "I am poor. I come from a very poor family, I have no money, and I have no belongings so I don’t want to marry a rich girl. So tell me now, are you rich?" She replied no, to which Rene proposed then told Mrs. Quintans, his eventual mother-in-law that she promised to love and care for her daughter for the rest of his life. They married and had five children, Rene Jr. or Rebo, Nonoy, Lara, Laurence and Caissa.[8]

File:Rene A.V. Saguisag and Dulce M. Quintans.png
Photo of Rene and Dulce Saguisag in the 1960s.

In 2007 he was seriously injured in a car crash on November 8, 2007 in Makati. After leaving from one of their usual late night ballroom dancing sessions, in the middle of the highway located at No. 4043 Bigasan street in Palanan, Makati, a speeding dump truck beating the red light accidentally struck Saguisag's van, injuring the driver and Saguisag's ribs, while taking the life of his wife Dulce, a former Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The funeral was held at St. Scholastica's College by Benedictine priests, including Rene's cousin Dom Benildus Maramba.[4]

Saguisag was left in critical condition following the collision. His injuries included seven broken ribs and small blood clots in his brain.[9] However, his doctors stated that he had a "very good chance" of a full recovery.[9] He spent 20 days in the intensive-care unit, and was released from the hospital on December 8, 2007.[10]

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.[11] Their son, Rene Andrei (Rebo), is also a lawyer who is the executive director and former commissioner of University Athletic Association of the Philippines and an incumbent city councilor of Makati.[12][13] Rene's grandchildren include Rene III who is about 70 years younger.

Saguisag is also the nephew of Sen. Jovito Salonga, specifically Salonga is the second cousin once removed of Saguisag, as Saguisag's paternal grandmother Talia Saguisag is the first cousin of Salonga's mother Dinang Reyes.[14]

Awards

References

  1. ^ a b c Lustre, Philip M., Jr. (2019-04-21). "The Last Good Senator: Rene Saguisag". ABS CBN News and Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 2019-04-21. Retrieved 2020-02-21.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Rene Saguisag". Senate of the Philippines. Senate of the Philippines. Archived from the original on 2003-07-08. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
  3. ^ a b c "Long Reads: What I've Learned -- Rene Saguisag". Esquire Magazine Philippines. 2016-11-28 [2015]. Archived from the original on 2016-12-29. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  4. ^ a b c d "Saguisag wife killed in road mishap". Philippine Daily Inquirer. 2007-11-08. Archived from the original on 2008-01-18. Retrieved 2007-11-25.
  5. ^ "Antonio V. Saguisag, Jr". 10 May 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Video on YouTube
  7. ^ Sy, Marvin (2008-09-20). "Napocor chief resigns".
  8. ^ Ramirez, Joanne Rae M. (2007-11-18). "'Please take care of my children'".
  9. ^ a b Jerome Aning, DJ Yap (2007-11-10). "Rene Saguisag recovering". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on 2008-02-02. Retrieved 2007-11-27.
  10. ^ Inquirer.net, Ex-senator Saguisag leaves hospital Archived 2008-01-25 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Inquirer.net, Knee injury ends gymnast Saguisag’s quest for SEAG gold Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ "Role in UAAP boosted bid for Makati city council, says Rebo Saguisag". ABS-CBN News. 2019-05-22. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  13. ^ "Hon. Rene Andrei Q. Saguisag, Jr". Makati Web Portal. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  14. ^ Saguisag, Rene A.V. (2018-06-22). "Tragedy of errors; remembering heroes".
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