The National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) will return four stolen pulpit panels to Cebu, but legal battles against NMP officials will continue. Governor Gwendolyn Garcia announced the NMP's decision, expressing doubts about the panels' authenticity and criticizing the NMP's handling of the situation.
The National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) has announced its intention to return four stolen pulpit panels to Cebu , according to Governor Gwendolyn Garcia. Garcia revealed that she received confirmation from the NMP Board of Trustees (BOT) on January 16th that the panels would be returned in March. Despite this positive development, Garcia stated that legal proceedings against officials of the NMP would continue.
The governor expressed skepticism regarding the authenticity of the panels, questioning whether replicas would be returned instead of the originals. She pointed to the lack of witnesses from Cebu involved in the restoration process, raising doubts about the NMP's transparency. Garcia's decision to pursue legal action stemmed from the NMP's handling of the Boljoon panels, which were reported stolen from a heritage church in southern Cebu in the late 1980s. The Archdiocese of Cebu, which owns the panels, authorized Garcia to represent the church in its efforts to reclaim them. On January 16th, Garcia announced her intention to file graft complaints against NMP Director General Jeremy Barns and Anti-Fencing Law violations against Barns and art collector couple Edwin and Eileen Bautista, who donated the panels to the NMP. This announcement prompted the NMP BOT to convene and decide on the return of the panels in March, reversing their previous stance of returning them subject to specific terms. Garcia emphasized that the damage caused by the NMP's actions was irreparable, stating that Barns failed to respond to a letter from Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma rejecting a proposed one-year loan of a fifth panel currently at the parish museum. Moreover, the NMP proceeded with restoration work in Manila without an agreement, contradicting Palma's request for on-site restoration in Boljoon. Father Brian Brigoli, chair of the archdiocese's heritage commission, expressed concerns that the restored panels might appear too new, clashing with the existing fifth panel. The NMP's decision to return the panels represents a significant step towards resolving this long-standing dispute. However, the ongoing legal proceedings and concerns about transparency highlight the complexities of navigating heritage preservation and ownership in the Philippines
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES CEBU STOLEN ART LEGAL BATTLES HERITAGE PRESERVATION
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