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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Luzon devider Police identify suspect in theft of Amorsolo painting in Silay City

Police identify suspect in theft of Amorsolo painting in Silay City

Published Jul 7, 2024 12:02 pm

BACOLOD CITY – Police have identified one of two suspects who stole an 88-year-old Mango Harvesters painting of National Artist Fernando Amorsolo from a private museum in Silay City, Negros Occidental on Wednesday, July 3.

READ: https://mb.com.ph/2024/7/6/amorsolo-painting-stolen-from-private-museum-in-silay-city

STOLEN PAINTING.jpeg

Police Lt. Col. Mark Anthony Darroca, Silay police chief, said that the male suspect was positively identified by a pedicab driver who transported the suspects to the city public plaza where they boarded a passenger jeepney to this city after stealing the painting from the Hofileña Museum in Barangay 1 on Wednesday morning.

Darroca said that the description of the pedicab driver on one of the suspects matched the mugshot of one of their persons of interest as the suspect reportedly took off his facemask while riding his pedicab. He, however, failed to identify the female suspect.

He said that they were able to track down the pedicab driver through a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage.

However, despite the identification of one of the suspects, Darroca said that he could not elaborate further pending follow-up investigation.

Darroca said that they will reveal the identity of one of the suspects once they have filed a case.

He said they have coordinated with the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) to track down the suspects whose group had been involved in “salisi,” theft, and other petty crimes.

Police believe that the suspects might have prior transaction which prompted them to target the artwork among other paintings displayed on the second floor of the museum which is also an ancestral house of the Hofileña family.

Darroca said that based on a CCTV footage, the male suspect took the painting while his female companion served as lookout.

He said there could be other suspects behind the incident but they could not yet tell the extent of their participation pending further investigation.

The Silay City government has offered a reward for the recovery of the painting.  

READ: https://mb.com.ph/2024/7/6/silay-city-offers-p25-000-reward-for-return-of-stolen-amorsolo-painting

The Mango Harvesters painting created in 1936 which measures about 12x18 inches is part of the collection of the late Ramon Hofileña, a known art curator in the province.

The Hofileña Museum features artworks by artists Juan Luna, Felix Resurrecion Hidalgo, Amorsolo, Ang Kiukok, Vicente Manansala, H.R. Ocampo, and BenCab.

Related Tags

Fernando Amorsolo Silay City Negros Occidental Stolen painting Hofileña Museum
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