Finder of P4M check gets only stare instead of thanks
For a laboratory aide who returned a P4 million check, a sign of gratitude is more than enough reward from the owner of his good deeds. But, what happens when the owner refused to do so and saying thank you is much bigger than the P4 million?
Laboratory aide Isidro Capia felt disgusted when contractor Elena Malaga allegedly just stared at him in front of Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) Director Dr. Jose Mari Fermin when the P4,048,112.85 check was returned to her last week.
The check was already signed and endorsed by Malaga and ready for encashment. The check, dated May 23, 2008, was issued by Land Bank of the Philippines-Iznart Branch.
Capia along with another hospital employee Daryl Victoriano found the check while they are on their way to the emergency room of the WVMC Friday last week when they saw a paper blown by the wind.
In a radio interview, Capia said they picked up the paper and saw that it was a check named under Koby Construction and Joint Ventures. Immediately, they sought help of the hospital employees assigned at the emergency room who are knowledgeable about checks. Capia said he has no idea on who owns the check and same time does not understand the business involving checks.
The two went to the offices of WVMC Human Resource and Management head Esther Nevales and Dr. Serra, of the Laboratory Section. Unluckily, Nevales and Serra were not around. Capia and Victoriano later went to the office of Dr. Fermin.
The hospital employees said they even asked for the help of radio station Akyon Radyo Iloilo to call the attention of the check's owner. On the same day, Malaga went to the office of Dr. Fermin where the hospital director also introduced Capia to the contractor.
Surprisingly, during the interview, Malaga called the radio station and claimed that she thanked Capia and company. Angry as she is Malaga said: “Ano abi niya sa akon engrata or mal-edukada? Ano gusto niya matabo? (What does he think of me ungrateful or uneducated? What does he want?)”
Malaga said she was rushing when she got the check and probably Capia did not hear her saying thank you. The contractor said she was in a hurry for a meeting.
Malaga said Capia even made it hard for her to get her check when she has already introduced herself as the owner but still Capia brought the check to the hospital's administration chief.
However, Capia reiterated that Malaga never said thank you to him when she received the check. The hospital employee who is assigned at the hospital's morgue said he did not wait for something else or any monetary consideration from Malaga but only a word of thanks.
When asked by the program's anchorman, whether Malaga wants to say thank you, the contractor furiously said “indi na kay gin pa radyo na nia (not anymore because he has already brought it over the radio).” Then the conversation between Capia and the anchorman ended with no words of gratitude from the contractor.
The radio anchor made clarifications that it was not Capia who asked for an interview but it was their effort to look for the person for his kind and noteworthy attitude. They searched for Capia until they reached his residence at Brgy. Dungon B, Jaro.
After the interview, the radio station was bombarded with at least 100 of text messages from their listeners. All of the text messages elicited bad reactions over Malaga's statement over the airlanes.
“Gratitude is one manifestation of a Christian Life. The Psalms in the Holy Bible is full of giving thanks to God. Parents teach their children to say thank you at the young age,” one of the text messages said.