Mayor Joedith Gallego is offering a P25,000 reward for any information that could lead to the identification and arrest of the persons who stole a valuable painting by national artist Fernando Amorsolo from the Hofileña Museum in Silay City.
Gallego, in an interview on Sunday, said he hoped that the amount would help authorities locate the persons involved in the July 3 theft of the 12 by 18 inches “Mango Harvesters” painting that cost millions of pesos.
PLt. Col, Mark Anthony Darroca, Silay police chief, said they have two persons of interests who are not from Silay City and are believed to be part of a group that has also carried out “salisi” operations in Bacolod City.
“We are coordinating with the Bacolod police,” he said.
SALISI STYLE
The salisi theft operations usually involve at least two or more individuals, who will distract the intended victim or security personnel while one carries out the theft.
CCTV footage showed that a male and female who joined a tour of the museum stole the painting. The male took the painting off the wall of the museum and placed it in the bag of the woman.
They both had face masks on.
Darroca said based on CCTV footage they gathered the woman was mestiza-looking and in her 40s, while the male was in his 30s.
The male thief could be from Manila, he said.
They are back checking more CCTV footage from various establishments and from the museum to further determine the identities and activities of the thieves, he said.
After they stole the painting they hurriedly took a trisikad to the Silay plaza and a public utility jeepney to Bacolod, he said.
The police have taken the testimonies of the drivers of the vehicles they rode on.
The Silay police are coordinating with police stations in the province and in other parts of the country to track down the suspects, he said.
OWNER’S ACCOUNT
Rene “Boy” Hofileña, administrator of the museum founded by his brother Ramon Hofileña, said their CCTV footage shows that the painting was stolen by a middle aged woman and her male companion, who may have been in cahoots with three other people, at about 10 a.m. on July 3.
The thieves joined a tour of the museum and when it ended they went back to the second floor where valuable paintings are on display.
The guide let them go back up as he thought they were just going to take pictures as other tourists do.
It was a day when the museum only had one tour guide at work so he left the five on the second floor to continue looking at the artworks while he went to the first floor to take another batch of guests on a tour of the museum.
The CCTV footage showed that the male companion of the middle aged woman took the Amorsolo off the wall and put it in her bag, Hofileña said.
Another couple and their child were also in the room when this took place. Hofileña said they could have been in cahoots with the thieves.
They saw the man take the painting down and put it in the bag of the woman and did not say anything or let us know what happened, Hofileña said.
It all happened within seconds, the woman with the painting in her bag then hurriedly walked out of the museum and down the road, he said
The woman appeared to be distinguished looking, they seemed to be professionals, he said.
He said the thieves must have been observing the museum operations for some time as they knew exactly what to get and when there was only one tour guide at work.
The museum only has one tour guide on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, he said.
Hofileña said when they discovered that the painting was gone it was not the price that concerned him but the fact that a painting from his late brother Ramon Hofileña’s collection was missing.
“I don’t care about the prices of the paintings, I just want to keep my promise to my brother to keep the museum going” so the public can continue to enjoy his art collection, he said.
Hofileña said he is touched that many people, especially from the art world, have shown concern over the loss of the painting and have offered to help find it.
This is the first time an art piece has been stolen from a museum in Silay City, he said.
“They obviously only came here for the Amorsolo,” he said,
Gallego said he will provide two additional tour guides for the Hofileña Museum and tourism police will be keeping close watch of the museums in Silay.
RAMON HOFILEÑA
The Hofileña Museum is a repository of art finds collected by its late owner-curator Ramon Hofileña. The second floor features paintings and sketches by national artists Juan Luna, Felix Resurrecion Hidalgo, Fernando Amorsolo, Ang Kiukok, Vicente Manansala, H.R. Ocampo, and BenCab.
Ramon Hofileña died on July 29, 202. He was 87.
Ramon Hofileña first opened his family’s ancestral house to visitors in 1962, the 1st Heritage House in Silay City.
He was involved in a life-long campaign to restore and protect Negrense cultural heritage and promote the arts.*