1 week ago
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CEBU CITY — While four stolen pulpit panels from the Archdiocesan Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria Santisima in Boljoon will finally be returned in March, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia has called on the possessor of the missing sixth panel to surrender it, em-phasizing its sacred significance and rightful place in the church.
Garcia urged the panel's holder to return it anonymously, suggesting it could be sent directly to the Cebu Provincial Capitol through a courier service.
"Wrap it very well. Send by LBC or by any courier," she said.
She stressed that the Archdiocese of Cebu never deconsecrated the panels, meaning they remain sacred objects.
Garcia described their removal and continued possession as sacrilegious, reiterating that the rightful owner is the archdiocese.
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The four panels, stolen in the 1980s, surfaced in private collections before Edwin and Aileen Bautista donated them to the Na-tional Museum of the Philippines (NMP) in 2024.
Garcia revealed that NMP Director General Jeremy Barns initially ignored her attempts to discuss the return of the artifacts, re-fusing to respond to letters and declining an invitation to meet with the archdiocese and Boljoon officials.
However, Barns later apologized and acknowledged her long-standing efforts to reclaim the panels.
The governor also took issue with the NMP Board of Trustees' use of the term "de-accession" in official documents, arguing that it implied legal ownership by the museum.
She insisted that the resolution should explicitly state their return to the rightful owner, to which Barns eventually agreed.
The four recovered panels will be turned over to the Archdiocesan Museum in a formal ceremony to be attended by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma and Barns before their enshrinement in Boljoon during a March 21 Mass.
As for the possibility of legal action against those involved in the prior acquisitions of the stolen panels, Garcia did not con-firm whether the provincial government would pursue charges.
If the sixth panel remains missing, Garcia said the church will leave its space blank, a solemn reminder of the incomplete resto-ration. However, she remains hopeful that it will be returned to finally complete the historic pulpit.
