MANGALDAN – Retired Police Director General Arturo Lomibao has backed out of the congressional race in the fourth district of Pangasinan after initial posturings in the media.

His withdrawal came only about 10 days after he announced at a news conference in Dagupan that he was already 99.999 percent of running for congressman in the province’s fourth district.

In a news conference he called in his hometown of Mangaldan on Wednesday morning, Lomibao announced he is finally withdrawing from the congressional race for the sake of unity in Pangasinan.

His decision leaves a one-on-one duel between House Speaker and Congressman Jose de Venecia Jr. and Dagupan City Mayor Benjamin Lim who, in his own news conference also on Wednesday in Dagupan, confirmed that he has already made up his mind to run for congressman against de Venecia.

Lomibao said in his round of the fourth district of Pangasinan to consult the people, he observed that common friends, relatives and community leaders are torn between him and the candidates of the other political camps.

He admitted that he finally realized that instead of building bridges, he is in fact causing division among the people in the fourth district of Pangasinan by running for congressman.

Lomibao denied that he is withdrawing from the race because recent survey shows he was trailing far behind the two other candidates.

Lomibao flatly denied that he withdrew from the race for congressman because he was promised a higher position in the government.

He said he just gave up his post as administrator of the National Irrigation Administration because of his plan to throw his hat into the fourth district congressional race.