Concurrently, he also holds the position of Director of the Institute of Human Rights at the UP Law Center since 2001. As a student, he was the Editor of the Philippine Collegian, the student paper of the University of the Philippines (UP) and Chairperson of the popularly elected UP University Student Council. As a lawyer, he worked with Alternative Legal Assistance Center (ALAC), a NGO engaged in providing legal education and assistance to the underprivileged. He has also served in government as Chief Legal Counsel for the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), and acted as a technical consultant and adviser on numerous initiatives undertaken by government agencies and legislative offices, principally in relation to human rights concerns.