The Cebu Provincial Government is preparing an initial four cases against Jeremy Barns, director-general of the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP).
This is in relation to Barns’ hard-headedness in promptly returning to the Archdiocesan Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria Santisima, commonly known as Boljoon Church, the four pulpit panels that have been stolen from Boljoon in the 1980s but have resurfaced in the possession of the NMP.
“In spite of our demands, Mr. Barns continues to ignore us. So the Province of Cebu, recognizing its role as steward and protector as well of the culture and heritage of our people, I already decided that we will be filing the appropriate charges. We will be filing case against the Director General [Barns] who after all is charged with seeing to it that there is no violation of any existing law,” Gov. Gwen Garcia said during a press conference at the Capitol on January 13.
The Governor hinted at the possible charges to be filed, including:
1) Violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, for Barns’s “arrogant disregard” of the official communications from the Archdiocese of Cebu, the Cebu Provincial Government, and the Municipal Government of Boljoon which are united in requesting for the return of the pulpit panels to Cebu;
2) Anti-Fencing Law, for keeping in his possession the four pulpit panels which have been stolen from the Boljoon Church in the 1980s;
3) Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, specifically Sections 3(e) which prohibits “causing any undue injury to any party, including the Government, in the discharge of his official administrative functions through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence”; and Section 3(f) which penalizes “neglecting or refusing, after due demand or request, without sufficient justification, to act within a reasonable time on any matter pending before him for the purpose of obtaining, directly or indirectly, from any person interested in the matter some pecuniary or material benefit or advantage, or for the purpose of favoring his own interest or giving undue advantage in favor of or discriminating against any other interested party”;
4) and violations of the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 for NMP’s disregard of local ethnicities clearly laid out by the law’s Article I, Section 2(a).
Gov. Gwen said she will also include in the Anti-Fencing suit the donors of the pulpit panels, the couple Edwin and Eileen Bautista.
She also questioned why the NMP had to conduct the restoration of the panels without the supervision of the Archdiocese of Cebu.
“Why the need to do restoration in the secrecy of wherever these works are being done, without any witness from any of us? Nakaminus ni sila nato? Kon naa moy buhaton ani, naa unta mi mga testigo para di mi makaingon nga naghimo-himo mo og lain nga maoy inyong i-turnover. Makaduda ba, very suspicious actions. To say the least, disrespectful, insulting to the Archdiocese and to the Cebuanos,” she said.
“We have had enough, Mr. Barns. We will not take this lying down. I will leave no stone unturned until justice will be given to the Cebuanos,” she added. | JMT
