Theft of Rizal Park sculpture an inside job – MPD

MANILA, Philippines - The theft of a P500,000 bronze sculpture by Juan Sajid Imao from Rizal Park appears to be an “inside job,” the Manila Police District (MPD) said yesterday.

Chief Inspector Francisco Vargas, head of MPD’s theft and robbery section, said it is unlikely for a sculpture that stands about four feet tall and weighs 80 kilos to be stolen from the garden of the Art Association of the Philippines (AAP) without anyone noticing it.

“Definitely, this was planned,” he said.

He added that only those who know the real value of the Imao piece will take an interest in it. The artwork was donated eight years ago, before Imao, an award-winning sculptor, was diagnosed with retinis pigmentosa, a disease that causes eventual blindness. Imao is also the son of National Artist Abdulmari Imao.

Vargas noted that there are other art pieces that are smaller and easier to sell to junk shops as scrap. Imao’s artwork is one of the eight sculptures displayed outside the AAP building. The nearest gate from AAP office is, according to Vargas, approximately, 30 to 50 meters away.

“The gate is closed at 5 p.m. If you were to steal the piece at night, you’d have to go over the wall. You’d need more people to bring it over the wall,” he said.

Vargas declined to name any suspects. “One thing is for sure, this was not stolen when the garden was being landscaped” last month, he said, debunking one of the earlier angles eyed by the AAP and the National Parks Development Committee.

According to Vargas, investigators have obtained a picture from the NPDC that showed that the sculpture was still in its previous location a few days after the landscaping was completed.

The photo was taken on Sept. 26. The artwork was reported missing on Oct. 19.