In 2002, Edward Hagedorn, who was term limited in the 2001 election, defeated Victorino Dennis Socrates, the mayor that replaced him.

The petition cited a "'breach of trust,' declining tourism activities and a deteriorating peace and order situation" as the reasons for the recall.

The petition was led by Muslim leader Al Babao and political lobbyist Joey Mirasol, both known supporters of Hagedorn.

Bayron denied that the city's tourism was in decline, nor was there increasing criminal activity, and accused of Hagedorn of being behind the recall petition, saying that "They cannot accept that they lost in the last elections".

[4] A month later, the commission approved the petition, but deferred the verification of signatures due to lack of funds.

Bayron, on the verification of the signatures on February 28 at the Puerto Princesa City Coliseum, confronted election officer Mon Garduce, ordering him to stop the proceedings.

Alborn Goh, who filed the request for the investigation, said that Bayron snatched the copy of the commission's resolution from Garduce, and tore it down.

Goh said that "It is to our total dismay that the police assigned to guard the proceedings did not lift a finger to stop and arrest Bayron, his bodyguards and goons, for violations of penal, election and anti-graft laws.

[13] After the filing of candidacies was over, 45 people registered their intention to run; Bayron, as the incumbent, was automatically a candidate in the recall election.

Several of the candidates who withdrew had surnames starting in letters C, D and F, and had allegedly been bribed to register in order to bring down Hagedorn's name on the ballot.

[17] On election day, there were 29 candidates left, with Bayron of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) and Hagedorn of the Liberal Party as the frontrunners.

Up to election day, there were no untoward incidents, despite text messages circulating in the city that tell of "casualties" among the candidates; the commission said there were no confirmation of such events, and that no violence was recorded.

While the commission said that those who were not in the voters list were either most likely had their registration deactivated for failing to vote in two consecutive elections, or were not registered in the first place, they will look into the allegations of vote-buying.

[21] After the counts were finished at the polling precincts, the ballot boxes containing the results were transported to the Victoriano J. Rodriguez Multi-Purpose Hall at the provincial capitol shortly before 6:00 p.m.

Hagedorn supporters camped outside of the provincial capitol, protesting the suspected tampered ballot boxes and other irregularities.

Hagedorn, on the other hand, did not immediately issue a statement; his campaign manager, Nardz Villafranca, said that "We've seen the worst.

Bayron lambasted the new city police chief who was installed at the height of the campaign, despite the mayor's protests.

Meanwhile, political analyst and University of Santo Tomas professor Edmund Tayao sees that Hagedorn's support for a presidential candidate would be "a plus," but not as considerable like the more populated areas such as Metro Manila, Pangasinan, Bulacan and Cebu.

Bayron successfully defended his mayoral post on that election against Hagedorn, and won by an even larger margin.

[31] Hagedorn defeated Acosta, and took his seat as representative from Palawan's 3rd district, of which Puerto Princesa is a part of.