Honest Fil-Am cabbie to be honored in Nevada

CHICAGO – Bill Shranko, an executive of Yellow Checker Star Transportation Company, on Monday said that Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman will sign a proclamation honoring Gerardo Gamboa, 55, a native of Mabalacat, Pampanga.

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval and Sen. Harry Reid will send Gamboa letters of appreciation, Shranko said.

The gambler, who refused to be named, has given the cabbie a $10,000 (P440,000) reward for returning his money on Dec. 27.

Gamboa’s boss also rewarded him by naming him Driver of the Year and giving him $1,000 and a dinner for two at a high-end restaurant.

“What Gerardo did was great for every taxi driver around the world. We are proud of him,” Shranko said.

For his part, Gamboa acknowledged his parents for instilling in him the value of honesty.

“Even if the poker player did not give me a cent as a reward, I would still be happy with my decision because it is the right thing to do,” he said.

Being a high school graduate, Gamboa said he could not find a job in the Philippines so he decided to try his luck in the United States when his sister, who is married to a US Air Force officer, petitioned him in 1984.

He became a US citizen in 1989 and initially worked in a food catering company in Dayton, Ohio. He also worked at the Los Angeles International Airport.

In 1985, Gamboa returned to the Philippines and married his wife, Elsa. They have a daughter named Kristi Lyn, 21, who is finishing her education degree in Florida.