Mayor Benjamin Magalong signed city council resolution no. 183, series of 2024, authored by Councilor Fred Bagbagen and considered jointly and collectively by the august body, commending Alfredo L. Rufino of Buguias, Benguet, and a public school teacher at the Irisan National High School, here, for his exemplary act of honesty and uprightness.
The measure disclosed that while on board a taxi on March 11, this year, Rufino found a wallet and without hesitation, immediately called and informed the owner, Atty. Eugenio Insigne, who instructed him to bring the wallet to the office of a close friend, coun. Bagbagen, at Baguio City Hall and get P1,000 from the wallet as a cash reward.
Despite the hardships of being a public school teacher and the insistence of Insigne of a cash reward, Rufino was not tempted to benefit from the material possession and honestly delivered the wallet to Bagbagen’s office, refusing the cash reward.
“Rufino is commendable for his zealous dedication and unwavering commitment to his values and sworn duties as a public servant through his good deeds to others and prioritizing virtues over self-interest, as manifested in his act of returning a lost wallet to its rightful owner,” the resolution stated.
Rufino’s noble deed, it added, “is worthy of commendation, emulation and a testament to the steadfast dedication to righteousness, altruism and social justice of every Cordilleran. His act of honesty has once again uplifted the dignity and morale of the Cordilleran people, and showed to the world their strong sense of integrity.”**Gaby B. Keith