He was first elected as a delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention. He then went into exile when President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law. He came back in 1980 and was elected as mayor of Cagayan de Oro City in Misamis Oriental. He was removed as mayor 1982. He returned as mayor again in 1984. He was elected as an Assemblyman in the Batasang Pambansa (National Assembly), serving from 1984 to 1986. 