Agriculture Chief returned a Rolex luxury watch worth P450,000.
Agriculture Chief Emmanuel Piñol caught the attention of the online community after he returned a gift which is worth P450,000.
Piñol took to Facebook to share that he received a Rolex watch during a dinner hosted by the executives of a very large agricultural company.
In his Facebook post, Piñol wrote that he received the watch during the ceremonial exchange of gifts. At first, he said that he did not give much importance to gift since he often receives small tokens and handicraft items.
Piñol said he is already on his Farm in Kidapawan City, when he decided to open the box. He was in great shocked when he saw what was inside the box. It was a Rolex submariner, a watch which almost every man dreams of owning.
Pagaduan/Piñol’s Facebook page
The Agriculture Chief revealed that the price of the watch was about P450,000.
“I would be lying if I say that the thought of keeping it did not cross my mind. Who does not like to own a Rolex anyway?” he said.
Piñol explained that he returned the expensive watch because the law prohibits officials like him from accepting expensive gifts.
“I could go to jail if I was found to have kept the watch or accepted expensive gifts from people with interests in the Dept. of Agriculture,” he said.
According to a report of ABS-CBN news, Agriculture Chief Emmanuel Piñol returned the watch to the giver that he decline to name.
Furthermore, he also shared what he feels after turning over the watch by saying, “I felt as if a huge burden was taken off my back.”
His Facebook post caught the attention of the online community. Netizens praise him for being honest and dedicated to his work.
“Now, I can look at anybody straight in the eye and tell them that I am following President Rody Duterte’s directive that members of his Cabinet must not be linked to any act of corruption,” he said.