The family of businessman Vicente Tan redeemed from a pawnshop a bracelet worth P126,000, one of the jewelry pieces found by scavengers in the Umapad dumpsite in Mandaue City in January.
But the bracelet was immediately turned over to the Mandaue city mayor’s office, which has temporary custody of two other gold bracelets and gold rings recovered from the garbage site.
The Tan family has a pending claim to get back all the jewelry, estimated by police to be worth P2 million, but until it can clearly prove ownership, the mayor remains the custodian till September under the law on “finders of lost and found” items.
“After we got back the bracelet from M. Lhuillier Pawnshop in Mandaue last Monday, we turned it over to the Mandaue City Hall in good faith,” said the Tan’s lawyer Inocencio dela Cerna.
“Redeeming the bracelet from the pawnshop will only show proof that we are the interested party,” he told reporters.
The bracelet was found in the dumpsite by scavenger Rodrigo Corta last Jan. 13. He asked a friend, Bernardo Baylon to pawn it.
Police were later able to trace jewelry pieces found by other scavengers and one engraved college ring to 83-year-old Vicente Tan.
The Tan family explained that the jewelry was in a box in his bedroom that was mistakenly thrown out with the trash when they cleaned the businessman’s termite-infested bedroom.
Dela Cerna said the family was after the sentimental value of the jewelry pieces rather than the monetary value.
The lawyer said the family has gathered some affidavits including photos of the businessman wearing the jewelry.
“The picture is worth a thousand words. We have to blow it up,” he said.
Some jewelry pieces were bought, others were gifts but the lawyer said his client failed to list them down and couldn’t remember the exact items anymore and neither did his wife who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.
The family paid P139,000, including interest, to redeem the pawned bracelet.
If no other claimants come forward after September, the Tan family has a good chance of getting back the jewelry.