𝘉𝘺 Max Limpag
The following article was published in the online news website Rappler.com on December 28, 2024.
Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia says she has grounds to pursue the panels, which are antiques from a church designated as a National Historical Landmark and National Cultural treasure
𝗖𝗘𝗕𝗨, 𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗣𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦 — The National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) is taking too long to return the pulpit panels stolen from the heritage church of Boljoon in southern Cebu, and litigation to assert church ownership should begin, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said.
Gov. Garcia criticized the Archdiocese of Cebu for its indecision on her request for a special power of attorney (SPA) that would allow her to file charges over the theft of the panels and other items allegedly stolen from heritage churches in Cebu. Both the archdiocese and the Cebu Provincial Government assert that the four pulpit panels, missing from the Archdiocesan Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria Santisima since the late 1980s, were stolen.
“Now my final question is, unsa man, mangiha ba mo o dili (will you file a case or not)? Kay ako (As for me), my lawyers are already studying demanding for (the panels) in the exercise of Section 16,” Gov. Garcia said, referencing the General Welfare clause of the Local Government Code of 1991.
Gov. Garcia told Rappler on December 20 that she was informed by the archdiocese that it would issue an SPA for the other stolen church items but not for the Boljoon panels. A source said church officials’ reluctance regarding the Boljoon panels was due to ongoing talks with the NMP for their return.
Father Brian Brigoli, chairman of the Cebu Archdiocesan Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church, said the archdiocese plans to file a case to let the courts decide on ownership of the panels.
Brigoli told Rappler the archdiocese will file a case, adding that details are with Father Dan delos Angeles, one of the archdiocese’s lawyers. Rappler sent several requests for an interview with Delos Angeles, but he declined.
Gov. Garcia said she has grounds to pursue the panels, which are antiques from a church designated as a National Historical Landmark and National Cultural Treasure.
“I will move. I have given them enough time. Hawod kaayong mga tawhana (They feel superior),” she said, referring to NMP officials led by Director General Jeremy Barns.
Rappler reached out to Barns several times but did not receive a response. The NMP’s communications and external affairs section acknowledged an email from Rappler but provided no details.
Gov. Garcia said the General Welfare clause of the Local Government Code empowers her to act and mandates the preservation and enrichment of culture.
More than just church property, the pulpit panels are part of Boljoon’s and Cebu’s cultural heritage, she said.
Brigoli said the panels are undergoing restoration, not just conservation.
The four panels were part of six that adorned the pulpit of the heritage church in Boljoon. They were reported stolen in the late 1980s. While there are claims that the panels were sold by a priest, the archdiocese maintains they were stolen because they were removed without the archbishop’s authority.
The panels were thought lost for decades until they resurfaced in the NMP’s “Gift to the Nation” exhibit on February 13.
(𝘔𝘢𝘹 𝘓𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘨, 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘊𝘦𝘣𝘶, 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 2024 𝘈𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘙𝘶𝘧𝘰 𝘑𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘍𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸.)
