NMP to return pulpit panels by March

CEBU, Philippines — The four pulpit panels that were stolen from the Archdiocesan Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria Santisima in the town of Boljoon will finally be back home, two months from now.

The Cebu provincial government through its news portal, Sugbo News, announced late night of January 16, 2025 that Governor Gwendolyn Garcia was informed that the four religious artifacts will be returned by the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) by March this year.

The NMP has had possession of the four pulpit panels since last year after certain individuals donated it to the museum.

No further details were released by the Capitol as to who informed the governor of NMP’s decision, but this development came after the Capitol decided to file criminal and administrative charges against NMP’s director-general Jeremy Barns.

During Garcia’s January 13 press conference, Capitol officials announced that multiple cases will be filed against Barns for still not returning the pulpit panels. These cases include violations of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, Anti-Fencing Law, Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009.

This as Garcia secured a Special Power of Attorney (SPA) from Archbishop Jose Palma who granted the governor the authority to pursue charges against the said official of NMP.

Garcia, during the press conference, said that even if the NMP decides to return the stolen pulpit panels, they will still go with the cases.

Barns previously announced that the NMP will return the religious treasures to Boljoon once the restoration process will be completed.

But Garcia questioned the said move of NMP noting that the restoration process should not have been done, especially with the absence of a memorandum of agreement between the Archdiocese of Cebu and the NMP.

“Why the need to do restoration in the secrecy of wherever these works are being done, without any witness from anay of us? Nakaminus na sila nato” Garcia said.

“Kon naa man mooy buhaton ani (panels), naa unta mi mga testigo para di mi makaingon nga naghimo-himo og lain nga maoy inyong iturn-over. Makaduda ba, very suspicious actions. To say the least, disrespectful, insulting to the Archdiocese and to the Cebuanos,” the governor added.

The Archdiocese of Cebu asserted its ownership of the pulpit panels which were reportedly illegally removed from the heritage church of Boljoon in the 1980s and have been missing for decades.

Palma then wrote to NMP asking for the return of the religious items as these “are considered in the ecclesial rite as tools of evangelization,” and that their illegal removal constitutes a sacrilege. (CEBU NEWS)