CEBU CITY – Contrary to news reports, a British national was not robbed of his wallet while distributing relief goods in Bais City, Negros Oriental, the Police Regional Office-Central Visayas (PRO 7) reported.
The PRO 7 said a local returned a lost wallet to Bais City Police Station after finding the item while traversing in Barangay 2 in Negros Oriental on Thursday, Dec. 23.
Accompanied by his wife, Vincent Louis Acojedo, 34, a resident of Sitio Tambacan, Barangay 1, Negros Oriental, returned the wallet containing valuable identification cards, including an Alien Certificate of Registration Card bearing the name of Graham Edward Beard, a British national living in Daro, Dumaguete City.
Acojedo narrated that he found the wallet while driving a motorcycle in Barangay 2, Bais. He was on his way to check his relatives that were affected by typhoon Odette.
Police Brig. Gen. Roque Eduardo Vega said the wallet was turned over to Beard a day before Christmas Eve.
The British national was thankful to the couple who surrendered the lost item.
“Let us verify first reports before publicizing," said Roque.
Roque said Beard went to the police station to seek help after he lost his wallet.
Police conducted a follow up investigation and inspected the areas where Beard may have lost his wallet.
"Good thing a good samaritan found the wallet and surrendered it," said Roque.
In his Facebook post, Beard posted on his that "a kind man", referring to Acojedo, contacted him to inform that he found his wallet containing important ID cards and driving licenses.
“I am really happy about that and was busy with my wife today taking care of stuff for her business, but tomorrow we are all going back to Bais so I can collect my wallet from that good man and we’ll be bringing some more totally needed water bottles and biscuits for those poor people that have been devastated by the typhoon. So, a really sad event has turned into a great event for me and I hope others can use what little we can bring to help them eat and drink clean water once more," Beard said.