BACOLOD CITY - A painting of National Artist Fernando Amorsolo was stolen from a private museum in Silay City, Negros Occidental on Wednesday, July 3.
The musuem has asked the help of the public in finding the masterpiece.
“Please help in the recovery of this important piece of Philippine art. Please report to the nearest authorities if you have information,” said the Silay Heritage on Facebook on Friday night, July 5.
City tourism officer Gerle Sulmaca said that the Mango Harvesters painting was taken from the Hofileña Museum in the morning.
Sulmaca said that a tour guide discovered the missing artwork.
Police Lt. Col. Mark Anthony Darroca, Silay police chief, said that based on closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage, two persons - a woman and a man - were seen carting the painting away from the second floor of the museum in Barangay 1.
Darroca said that the suspects joined a group of six persons during a tour and left the museum with the painting in a bag after 15 minutes.
He said that the suspects used fictitious names in the logbook and used an address in this city. They were wearing caps and face masks when they entered the museum.
Darroca said that they have two persons of interest who could be part of an organized crime group as their actions were believed to be planned.
He said the suspects only targeted the painting among all the art pieces in the museum.
Darroca said they have coordinated with the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) to track down the suspects.
He said that they will also tap the cybercrime group to enhance the CCTV footage for the identification of the suspects who he believed are not from Negros Occidental.
Darroca said that Mayor Joedith Gallego has directed the police to locate the suspects and recover the painting.
The value of the painting was undisclosed.