The radar fiasco last January 1 could have dented the image of the country's aviation capability. But an honest deed, like returning a trolley bag with cash worth over P1 million left at the arrival area, can restore travelers' trust in airport personnel.
Airport authorities recovered a trolley bag which contained cash of over P1 million that belonged to the mayor of Maluso, Basilan.
The owner, Mayor Hanie E. Bud, had just arrived on January 4 from Zamboanga, and hurriedly left NAIA Terminal 2 without his trolley bag.
While on his way to catch an important meeting, his wife suddenly called him saying "that someone from the NAIA Terminal 2 informed her that he left his luggage in the waiting area."
The area which the mayor's trolley was found reportedly no longer had an operating CCTV when all passengers left.
Airport police cordoned off the area and dispatched bomb sniffing dogs to check if the bag contained explosive device.
Later, the PNP cleared the bag of any devices related to explosives.
The bag was later brought to the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) Lost and Found Section of Terminal 2 where its contents were inspected by airport authorities.
The bag contained personal belongings, some Malaysian ringgits, Macbook Air, wallet, identification cards, a passport, assorted automated teller machine (ATM) cards, a checkbook and P1,427,760 cash.
The owner was identified through his passport.
"Nobody is immune from forgetting something but indeed, kinder people abound as manifested by what happened to me today. There are always kind people, and they are worth fighting for," the mayor said through social media.
He added, "Nowadays it's quite hard to find honest individuals, but not in NAIA Terminal 2."
Tags: #hugeamountofcash, #ownedbymayorbud, #leftbehindbag, #clearedfromanyexplosivedevice