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During the time of Marcos in 1973, in an effort to unite various forces against the dictatorship, Satur Ocampo co-founded the National Democratic Front. He was imprisoned from 1976 until 1985 and was severely tortured in various prison camps. Although tried by a military court for rebellion, Ocampo was never found guilty. In 1985, he escaped and rejoined the underground revolutionary movement.

In 1986, when President Cory Aquino called for peace talks, Ocampo headed the NDF peace negotiating panel. The talks, however, collapsed after the Mendiola massacre happened in January 1987. Ocampo, in 1989, was re-arrested together with his common law wife, Bobbie Malay. They were both released a few years later and were not found guilty of any crime.

Before he joined the underground movement, Satur Ocampo was a journalist; he was also a professor and writer. From 2001 to 2010, he was the party-list representative of Bayan Muna (Country First), a political party, in the Lower House of Congress. He served as the Deputy Minority Leader in the 14th Congress of the Philippines. He also chaired the House Special Committee on Peace, Unity and Reconciliation, and was vice chairman of the Human Rights Committee.

While he was in Congress, two Bayan Muna-sponsored bills were enacted into law. These were the Overseas Voting Act and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act. Ocampo also spearheaded the formation of Legislators Against War (LAW) to oppose US aggression in Iraq and other countries in the world. And to help protect Philippine industry and agriculture, Ocampo played a key role in forming the Legislators-Businessmen-People’s Forum (LBPF).

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