Tourist van driver Melecio Aclon Jr. was about to attend a New Year’s Eve vigil with his family when his son found a body bag filled with cash amounting to over P750,000 inside his company’s van.
Aclon checked the bag and saw several large bundles of cash which he later found out to have amounted to P250,000 and $10,000. He knew the cash belonged to his Mongolian guests who he had just picked up at the Tagbilaran City port and then dropped off at a subdivision in Dauis.
Without thinking twice, Aclon with his entire family drove back to Dauis to return the amount in full.
“Wa ko matintal, wa jud ko makahunahuna og kuha og butang na dili atoa nakaingon ko na ‘daghana maning kwartaha, unsaon maning kwartaha’ maong ga dali-dali ko og sirit…Ni dretso ko’g dagan sa akong guest sa ilang gistayhan,” said Aclon.
The owner of the bag which also contained a passport was more than grateful when Aclon returned the items.
Aclon got P1,000 from the owner who then requested for his services during their three-day stay in the province, as Aclon was only hired to pick up the group at the pier.
“Ingon ag tag-iya na ‘you’re a very good honest driver.’ Namoblema na sila pag-abot nako kay asa kuno ang kwarta. Mao pag hatag nako nalipay sila kaayo,” he said.
The bag’s owner, his wife and six other companions also vowed to tell their friends and family in Mongolia of Aclon’s honesty.
Aclon meanwhile called on other tourist van drivers to do the same when their guests unintentionally leave their belongings in their vans.
“Maghinaot pud ko sa akong mga kauban na tour driver na og naay mabilin sa inyo na bag kinahilanglan na e-uli sa tag-iya kay di mana atoa, hinaguan gud na nila. Kung ihatag nato, atong dawaton pero kung di, atong e-uli kay naa puy gatan-aw nato sa taas,” he said.