‘Pongko-Pongko’ Vendor Hands Over Lost Money to City Hall

Federito Lucernas, a 30-year-old ‘pongko-pongko’ vendor along Plaridel Street near the Banco de Oro (BDO) Plaridel Branch, and a resident of Barangay Hipodromo, turned-over a huge amount of lost money (amount of money withheld for confidentiality) to the Cebu City Government.

Lucernas said that he saw a man, who passed by along his vending area and picked some bills from the floor of the sidewalk outside the BDO last November 12, 2012.

“Akong gipunit ang ubang kwarta ug gigukod ang tawo nga nagkuha sa uban kwarta kay kahibawo man ko nga dili to iya kay wala man niya hutda ug kuha ug nagdali-dali siya ug lakaw, unya akong gihatag sa guard sa BDO kay basin mobalik ang tag-iya,” Lucernas shared in an interview with the BARUGG News.

The man was later identified as Mr. Ramel Mojello from Barangay Guadalupe.

“Ako siyang (Ramel) giingnan nga ato nang e-uli kay dili man na ato, basin mobalik ra to ang tag-iya ug iya ning gikinahanglan kay dako kaayo ni nga kantidad,” Lucernas enthuses.

He further added that when nobody returned to the BDO to inquire and claim the lost money he got the guts, along with Ramel, to get the lost money from the guard and turned it over to the city government.

“Pagka-ugma among giturn-over ang kwarta sa City Hall didto sa Office of the Mayor aron mabalik sa tag-iya, gi-interview mi didto ni Mayor Mike Rama naa poy mga media,” Lucrenas explained.

The Office of the Mayor immediately called the attention of the City Legal Office for their legal opinion.

Meanwhile, the honest vendor who is a father of two continued with his business in the same area which is the source of income of their family earning at least Two Thousand Pesos (Php2,000.00) a day.

When queried on why he returned the money, Lucernas reiterated that, “Gipadako man mi Unom ka anak sa among ginikanan nga naay kahadlok sa Ginoo, akong baruganan nga malipay na mi makakaon katulo sa isa ka adlaw ug kinahanglan patuan ug singot ug hagoan ang kwarta bisan unsa pa ta kapobre.” “Sa mga makakita ug mabilin nga butang o kwarta, e-uli gyod na kung dili inyo kay ang gaba dili magsaba ug dalhon na sa inyong konsensya nga nakasala mo, unya ang tag-iya kinahanglan kaayo na nila,”.Lucernas said.

As of today, the money is in the custody of the City Treasurer’s Office (CTO) following the recommendation of the City Legal Office considering that there are still no claimants to date. (By Greggy Jiggs P. Senados, PIO Staff)