AN act worthy of emulation.
Three Road Emergency Group members of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) were cited for honesty after returning a sling bag containing $79,500 to a road-accident victim in Taguig City on Tuesday.
MMDA rescue personnel Mariel Bacho, Kristopher Concepcion and Sheena Santillan did not think twice about surrendering the bag containing bundles of dollars—equivalent to more than P4 million—to Saint Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City where victim Thomas Dichavez was rushed.
It was at 3:59 a.m. when the team responded to a road accident involving a SUV and a truck that happened along C-5 Road (Southbound) in Taguig City.
Upon arrival, Bacho said, they found Dichavez inside a Mitsubishi Montero in an inclined position and immediately pulled him out of the damaged vehicle.
Injured Dichavez was conscious but could not speak clearly, said Bacho.
While searching for the victim’s identification card, a bystander who first responded at the accident scene handed them a sling bag, which was found inside the victim’s vehicle.
The team immediately secured the victim’s belongings and rushed him to the hospital.
Bacho said it was only at the hospital when they learned the true worth of the belongings.
The bag was turned over to the security personnel of the hospital to make sure it will be returned to the owner.
According to Bacho, it was not the first time that they returned valuables back to road-accident victims.
Bacho said it is part of the MMDA road-emergency personnel’s training to return recovered items from accident scenes.
“When we saw the bundles of US dollars inside the bag, it never crossed our mind to take it. We are also thankful to the male bystander who found the bag inside the vehicle,” said Bacho.
MMDA Chairman Danilo D. Lim lauded the road-emergency personnel for their exemplary and admirable character of truthfulness.
“We commend our employees for displaying an act of honesty.”