Having held many cabinet-level ranks in the past, he was appointed by President Benigno Aquino III as Secretary of the Philippine Department of Budget and Management.

When the Congress of the Philippines was restored in 1987, Abad launched his successful congressional bid to represent the Lone District of Batanes where he became a staunch advocate of agrarian reform in the national legislature.

Later it was revealed that money from DAP was used to bribe congressmen and senators to wrongfully convict and impeach the late Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Three years after stepping down as Secretary of Budget and Management, Abad ran for Congress for Batanes's lone district in 2019, but lost to Ciriaco Gato Jr. by 238 votes.

[4] Abad is married to former Ateneo School of Government director and Batanes Rep. Henedina Razon-Abad and is father to four: Presidential Management Staff (PMS) chief Sec.