Army soldier returns 2 checks worth almost P350,000 to owner

Mr Kiko Loresco of Manila Water receives the check from Sgt Raffy Braga. /ARMY

MANILA, Philippines — While the military has been criticized recently over some erring cadets and officers, an Army soldier has earned the respect of his colleagues when he returned two checks amounting to almost P350,000 he found in Taguig City.

Sergeant Raffy Braga, assigned at the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Civil Military Operations (OG7), came from an errand last Wednesday (Feb. 26) and was on his way back to Fort Bonifacio. He was driving along Mckinley Hill, near Emperador Stadium, when two pieces of paper which he later discovered as checks, flew across his vehicle.

Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Noel Detoyato said that Braga got off his vehicle and found out that that the papers were Landbank of the Philippines checks– one worth P182,702.73 and the other worth P165,506.06, both payable to the Manila Water Company.

Braga reported this to his superior and later coordinated with Landbank to identify the owner of the checks.

Landbank informed the owner, Mr. Kiko Loresco, who later claimed the checks at Braga’s office.

“They were full of gratitude, and thanked Sgt. Braga for his honesty and for the efforts in locating the owner,” Detoyato said.

Braga, 38, hails from Valencia in Bukidnon. He has been serving the Army for 17 years and is married with two children.

Detoyato praised Braga “for exhibiting honesty, and for exemplifying integrity and professionalism.”

Early this month, a graduating cadet of the Philippine Military Academy, Cadet Aldrin Jeff Cudia, made the headlines as he allegedly violated the institution’s honor code. The PMA claimed he lied as to why he was late and decided to drop him from the roll of the graduating class. Lying is a grave offense in the academy.

Although these kinds of issues in the academy are supposed to be confidential, Cudia’s situation was made known over Facebook through his sister, earning the interest of netizens and the media.

Military chief General Emmanuel Bautista has ordered a re-investigation of the case.

Last week, a member of the Presidential Security Group was arrested by the police for withdrawing cash from an automated teller machine using a cloned card.

Raphael Marcial of the Navy, is a member of PMA Class of 2008. He posted P20,000 bail on Tuesday.