Honest janitor runs for councilor

Ronald Gadayan —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

An airport janitor earlier commended for returning lost items to passengers has filed his candidacy for Caloocan City councilor, saying honesty will be his main asset as a future public servant.

Ronald Gadayan, 41, a contractual working at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) since 2012, was lauded by the management two years ago for turning over valuables left behind at the terminals.

Lost and found

Among the items that had found their way back to their owners thanks to Gadayan were pieces of jewelry; driver’s licenses and important documents; gadgets such as iPads, iPhones, an Apple Mac laptop (belonging to a doctor from the Philippine General Hospital); a wad of cash worth $5,000 (left behind by an overseas Filipino worker at the men’s room); and another amounting to P2.4 million (left by a Cebu businessman on a bench at the waiting area).

A resident of Grace Park, Caloocan, Gadayan will be running as an independent as he hopes to represent the city’s 2nd district in the council.

‘Bayaning tanga’

“I hope I can be given a chance to run and get elected. I just want things to change, because the same people are being elected,” he said.

For his consistent display of honesty, Gadayan received the Kahanga-hangang Pinoy (Admirable Filipino) Award from the Manila Jaycee Senate Inc. in San Juan City and an Outstanding Alumnus Award by Caloocan High School.

This “bayaning tanga” (heroic fool)—as he was called by coworkers who shook their heads in disbelief when he resisted temptations of instant wealth—was cited as an Outstanding Citizen by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle in 2012 and received the Spirit of Edsa Award the following year.

‘Honesto’

The Bulacan provincial government passed a resolution in praise of Gadayan in 2013, while Caloocan Mayor Oscar Malapitan named him as one of the city’s outstanding citizens and even gave him a moniker: “Honesto.”

“People made fun of me (and) raised their eyebrows when I filed my certificate of candidacy because of my work as a janitor … because I don’t have money (for a big campaign),” Gadayan, whose family is counted among the city’s informal settlers, said in an interview early this week.

“I told them I can do it with the help of the youth. Basta maganda ang hangarin, kahit independent, kakayanin (As long as I have good intentions, even as an independent, I can do this),” he said.

For starters, Gadayan recycled as his campaign shirt the old blue uniform he wore at Naia, now printed with his slogan on the back: “Mr. Honesto: Servicio Honesto para sa Caloocan.”