Honest cabbie returns passenger’s valuables, cash

An honest cabbie returned more than PHP150,000 worth cash and valuables to a lady passenger at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). (Pixabay photo)

MANILA — An honest cabbie returned more than PHP150,000 worth cash and valuables to a lady passenger at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) on Tuesday said a passenger from Palawan left her pouch containing cash, credit cards, iPhone and IDs inside a NAIA-accredited taxi that she rode from NAIA Terminal 2 to Newport in Pasay City on Monday.

In a statement, MIAA said that Belen Swegler, 66, had PHP50,000 and USD2,000 inside her pouch. Upon finding out that her belongings were missing, she immediately went back to the airport and asked help from the police.

Apparently, driver Rodney Mallari of People’s Network Transport was also on his way back to NAIA Terminal 2 when he noticed a pouch inside the cab.

MIAA Media Affairs Division head Jess Martinez told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) that Mallari also went to the Airport Police Department which returned the pouch to Swegler and brought her back to Newport.

MIAA General Manager Ed Monreal, in a statement, lauded Mallari for his honesty and said such act is a huge help in MIAA’s efforts to improve NAIA’s image.

Last April, an airport-accredited cabbie also returned the USD3,000 left by a passenger, an overseas Filipino worker from Saudi Arabia.