Climaco maintained a harsh view towards the Marcos government. He was critical of the highly-centralized structure of government under which it was necessary to obtain the blessing of the Office of the President before funds could be disbursed. When President Marcos lifted martial law in 1981, Climaco retorted, Marcos did not lift martial rule. He only tilted it. Climaco was able to stoke anti-Marcos sentiment within Zamboanga City.  When Benigno Aquino, Jr. was assassinated in 1983, Climaco renamed one of the citys main squares as Aquino Plaza.