Santiago said many local officials in the province, including those previously allied with Verceles, have been "disillusioned and demoralized" by his poor leadership and his failure to fulfill his promise of adequate funding for various development projects.
Santiago was reacting to Verceles’ statement dismissing the recall move against him as "a power grab, pure and simple."
"During the province’s councilors’ league meeting last year, for instance, the governor promised each councilor P50,000 in project funding. Up to now, they have not seen a single centavo of the promised funding," Santiago said in a statement.
The councilors of the province’s 11 municipalities were among the members of the Preparatory Recall Assembly (PRA) who approved overwhelmingly, by a 78-2 vote, the recall resolution against Verceles on Aug. 31.
No less than the province’s league of mayors sponsored the resolution, Santiago said.