Security guard in Kidapawan returns P15k cash to owner

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines - The city council here honored a  security guard with a special citation for “exemplary honesty” for returning P15,000 cash inside an envelope he found along the road while on his way to work.

Councilor Gregory Yarra told reporters the Sannguniang Panglungsod’s citation was intended to show its appreciation of the honesty of Emerold Obatay, a security guard of a branch here of Mercury Drugstore.

Obatay turned over the money he found last weekend to Catholic station dxND in Kidapawan City, one of the five broadcast outfits in Central Mindanao of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate congregation.

Obatay, who is of Cebuano descent, said he had thought of keeping the money for his needs but, fearing “gaba” would fall on him, decided to return it to its owner through station dxND.  “Gaba” means divine wrath in most Visayan vernaculars.

“Who doesn’t need money? I need money to settle the hospital bills of my daughter who has just died of cancer, but the money I found was not mine. Someone else owned it,” Obatay said in Cebuano.

Yarra said the city council has asked Kidapawan City Mayor Joseph Evangelista to hire Obatay either as security guard in any of the offices under the city government, or as a regular member of the city civil security group.

The money Obatay found had been returned to its owner, a certain Mr. Porras.

Obatay declined to receive the  cash reward that Porass wanted to give him.

“We are certain he would be a good city government employee. His example of honesty is worth emulating,” Yarra said. - John Unson