His family is in dire need of money, but this did not serve as an excuse for PO1 Jimmy Reginaldo to take the P10,000 and $100 he found inside a cab.

On Friday, the Philippine National Police (PNP) announced that it will hold a ceremony to recognize and honor the honesty shown by Reginaldo who even went to the extent of visiting the house of the owner of the wallet containing the money in Cavite.

“We have a surprise for PO1 Reginaldo, and the PNP Chief (Director General Jesus Verzosa) will announce it later,” said Senior Supt. Leonardo Espina, PNP spokesman.

The 37-year-old Reginaldo, assigned to the Parañaque City Police, said he found the wallet containing P10,000 and $100 in cash when he boarded a taxi near the Baclaran Church on Friday night on his way to his office in Paranaque City.

The identification cards he found inside the wallet enabled Reginaldo, who is also a law student, to identify and trace the address of the wallet’s owner, Jessie Tinguel.

In an interview over radio station dzBB, Tinguel said he did not expect that his wallet will still be returned to him. To his surprise, his wallet was returned to him by no less than a policeman.

For his part, Reginaldo said he did not expect the recognition since what he did was the right thing to do. He then called on fellow policemen to help the PNP win back the trust and confidence of the public by doing good deeds.

During and after his interview over the same radio station, a number of listeners pledged to give Reginaldo’s five children with gifts such as a complete volume of encyclopedia, a sack of rice and grocery items.

The Parañaque City Police has already cited Reginaldo for returning the money but there will be more as the PNP leadership will hold a separate ceremony in Camp Crame.