Scavenger returns $17,000 to the NBI

CEBU - Julie Compisto grew up scouring the garbage pile at the Inayawan Sanitary Landfill where he earns a living for his family since he could not go to school due to extreme poverty. The 26-year-old scavenger has to make do with the P30 he brings home daily from the trash that he could sell to scrap buyers and recyclers, for his family’s needs.

Compisto has a one-year-old daughter and his wife has no permanent income being a per piece laborer of a shellcraft factory.

 But despite the hardships in life it did not come to his mind to keep part of the $60,000 found by his younger brother at the dumpsite.

Even if he was not among those identified to have gotten a share of the money, Compisto decided to turnover the amount his brother gave him.

Compisto turned over $17,000 to lawyer Bernard de la Cruz of the NBI yesterday. He said the amount was part of the $60,000 found by his brother Napoleon Ursabia.

Compisto said some of the amount given to him by his brother was taken by his aunt Victoria Candido.

Compisto however could not determine how much was the amount taken by his aunt. But, according to him, his aunt said that she only has $6,000.

The NBI earlier went to Candido after her name was mentioned by the owner Emiliano Tanpin, Jr., but she denied receiving anything.

Compisto said he did not intend to keep the money. He explained that he was not able to turn over it immediately because of fear.

Compisto said he did not know what to do about it after confirming that the dollars are genuine.

He said he hid in the mountains of barangay Bulacao but decided to return to Inayawan yesterday morning.

His brother-in-law Renante Abasolo and the latter’s uncle, Rudy Jaca, accompanied him to the NBI for the formal turn over of the money.

“Wa gyud koy huna-huna nga angkunon ang kwarta bahala na og pobre ko ug way grado,” Compisto said.

Asked the whereabouts of his brother, Napoleon Ursabia, Compisto said he does not know, because he was not living with him. However, he said he is sure that Napoleon did have with him the rest of the money.

Compisto also did not have any information about the reported turnover of the money to Inayawan Barangay Captain Rustom Ignacio.

Ignacio is among those listed in the complaint of Tanpin before the NBI for theft as he allegedly refused to return the money.

The others are Warlito Ignacio, Victoria Candido, Guliat Ursabia and Napoleon Ursabia.

On November 26 in the morning Tanpin allegedly left $60,000 placed in a rice sack on top of his table but his helper Nelly accidentally threw it thinking that it was already garbage.

The money was dumped in the landfill. —/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)