Two years earlier, after Col. Honasan led a coup attempt on August 28, 1987 that also failed, Aguinaldo—then a lieutenant colonel in Cagayan's provincial military forces—bluntly stated another coup attempt would follow if President Aquino did "not make reforms fast". Aguinaldo resigned from the military to run for Cagayan governor in 1988, he won that post in a landslide. Though harshly criticized for human rights abuses while serving in the regime of Ferdinand Marcos, Aguinaldo gained renown and popularity beyond Cagayan for his ardent fight against communist insurgents.