P2 million jewelry found in dumpsite

MANILA, Philippines - Scavengers at the dumpsite in Barangay Umapad, Mandaue City thought their prayers were answered when they found assorted jewelry estimated to be worth P2 million inside a blue plastic bag among the trash dumped by the truck of Barangay Cabancalan last January 12.

When Cabancalan Barangay Captain Regidor Cosido was informed about the incident last Tuesday, he immediately sought the assistance of the police.

The story only came to light yesterday after the police contacted several of the scavengers, who found the various pieces of jewelry.

Many of the items were already either sold or pawned.

Recovery

Cosido told the police that the pieces of jewelry were found inside the plastic bag that was picked up from the compound of Inday Dried Mangoes owned by Vicente Hante Tan.

Word about the prize find reached Cosido only after one of the scavengers, who was not given what he believed was his fair share complained.

The Theft and Robbery Section of the Mandaue City Police Office led by Insp. Ramil Morpos immediately went to the dumpsite to investigate.

Rodrigo Corta, 55, who claims to have been a scavenger since 1974, came forward and turned over to the police one big gold bracelet, two gold rings, a gold necklace with a pendant, and a receipt from a pawnshop.

He also turned over P36,000 cash, which he said was what was left from the P127,000 that he got when he asked Bernardo Baylon, a scrap buyer, to pawn a bracelet.

Antonio Taborada, another scavenger, also turned over to the police one big gold bracelet with stones believed to be diamonds.

Edda Montecalvo, also a scavenger, also told police that she too found a bracelet, but sold it for P15,000 to a passing scrap buyer in the area.

Corta told the media that after his friend Baylon came back with the money after pawning the bracelet, he gave him P16,000 for doing so.

He said that he asked Baylon to pawn the bracelet on his behalf as he feared that he might be questioned where he got the item as he was only a scavenger.

Sharing the ‘Blessing’

Corta also said that he immediately brought some materials to repair his house and also gave P500 and bags of rice to fellow scavengers in the area and even helped in paying for the hospitalization expenses of a sick neighbor.

“Nagpasalamat gyud ko sa Ginoo kay grasya na gud ni, wala man namo ni kawata, gilabay na man ni,” said Corta.

Corta added that his wife even went to the Basilica del Santo Niño in Cebu City on the day they found the jewelry to light a candle and thank the Sto. Niño for the blessings.

Montecalvo for her part said that she bought a nebulizer and paid  for the tuition of her  sibling after she sold the bracelet for P15,000.

Owner?

When the police found the class ring with the name Vicente H. Tan engraved on it, Morpos and his men then proceeded to the residence of Tan in barangay Cabancalan for the family to possibly identify the recovered items.

Tan, who is 83 years old and wheelchair-bound, only remembered to have owned the class ring, but could not recall if he owned the other pieces of jewelry.

Morpos said that during their visit at Tan’s residence they were informed that Tan also suffers from memory loss due to a brain surgery.

His wife and their only daughter also could not tell the police if the other pieces of jewelry belong to Vicente.

Investigation and Detective Management Bureau (IDMB) chief C/Insp. Michael Anthony Bastes, however, believes that Tan owns the other pieces of jewelry.

But since the octogenarian has only identified the ring they were instructed by MCPO director Sr. Supt. Noel Gillamac to turn over the rest of the jewelry to Mayor Jonas Cortes for proper disposition in case nobody would claim ownership.

The police will also check with the University of San Carlos to check if they had a graduate named Vicente H. Tan from the course of Bachelor of Science in Commerce in 1952.

No case

Bastes also said that they could not file cases against the scavengers, pawned some of the assorted jewelry unless the real owner will file a complaint against them.

Bastes also added that they still have to conduct further verification on how the jewelry came to be placed inside the blue sack and they would also try to determine if they were stolen or simplyu misplaced. – /NLQ (FREEMAN)