BANGUED, Abra — Police and election officers here had a sigh of relief after a municipal mayor, who earlier filed his candidacy for the province’s gubernatorial post, decided to officially withdraw his certificate of candidacy to the top post in the province against incumbent Abra Gov. Eustaquio “Takit” Bersamin for the sake of a clean, honest, orderly, and peaceful elections during the upcoming May 2010 synchronized and automated elections.

Three-term Lagangilang Mayor Lizardo Sinugo Jr. informed the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the Cordillera of his desire to back out from the gubernatorial race to prevent the expected intense political rivalry in the province during the campaign period for the forthcoming elections.

Because of his withdrawal from the gubernatorial race, Bersamin will now be unopposed for the said position in the elections.

As this developed, Sinugo expressed his family’s heartfelt gratitude to all his supporters and friends who stayed with him after he filed his candidacy for the gubernatorial post, thus, they will always treasure the support they gave to him in the coming years.

Lawyer Julius Torres, Comelec regional director in the Cordillera, said their central office has already been notified to remove the name of Sinugo in the list of candidates for governor in Abra in order to prevent confusion among the electorate on Election Day.

Once Sinugo’s name will not be deleted in the ballot for the automated elections, Torres explained all the votes that will be casted for him will not be considered in the canvassing of votes even if he will win the elections since he had already filed his sworn intention to withdraw from the gubernatorial race.

For his part, Chief Supt. Orlando Pestano, director of the Police Regional Office (PRO) in the Cordillera, claimed that the withdrawal of Sinugo from the expected heated gubernatorial race is a breakthrough in the consolidated effort of the government and the stakeholders to have clean, honest, orderly, and peaceful elections.