An honest security guard of Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 is getting praises from peers after finding an unattended bag later on discovered to contain about P1.5 million cash and personal belongings of Maluso, Basilan Mayor Hanie Bud.
It was learned that airport security guard Albert Bautista of Lockheed Security Agency was on his routine traffic patrol at the NAIA T2 domestic arrival area in the afternoon of January 4, 2023 , when he noticed a blue trolley bag unattended at the public waiting area.
He could have easily took advantage of the situation by bringing the bag home or hide it considering the fact that the area is not covered by CCTV.
Bautista instead reported the unattended bag to airport police department.
Airport security protocols dictates that unattended baggage must undergo the basic cordoning of the area for safety reason.
Terminal 2 police section chief senior inspector Vic De Leon immediately coordinated with PNP bomb detection team to do the necessary that later on turn to be negative of bomb detection.
Upon intial check the bag when open yielded a large amount of money estimated to be 1.5 million pesos.
Airport police senior inspector Vic De Leon immediately conducted contact tracing through identities found inside the bag, verification with Philippine Airlines also confirmed that the unattended bag was accidentally left behind by Maluso Basilan Mayor Honie Bud.
Airport police De Leon said they were lucky to trace and communicated with mayor Bud who went back to the airport and claimed his left behind trolley bag.
Airport security guard Albert Bautista upon learning that the bag containing large amount of money was properly returned to mayor Honie Bud, Bautista when asked why he returned the bag later on found to contain large amount of money simply replied the he fear karma or bad luck if he will keep the unattended bag for himself.
“Takot po ako sa karma sir, maski po maliit lang ang sweldo ko at kailangan ko talaga ng pera, hindi po kaya ng dibdib ko na magnakaw ng pera or bagahe” honest airport security guard Albert Bautista said. —mula sa ulat ni Raoul Esperas (Patrol 45)
