HOW FOUR CHURCH PANELS BECAME A NATIONAL MUSEUM CONTROVERSY

(SPOT.ph) Unless you're from Cebu, you might not have heard about the missing pulpit panels of Boljoon Church, but the story sounds like something out of an art heist movie. The religious relics have been the focus of conflict between the church and the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP), with legal action now being pursued.

Here's a quick background for the uninitiated: Sometime in the 1980s, five of six panels went missing from the pulpit of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria Santisima, more commonly known as the Boljoon Church, one of the oldest churches in the country.

The pulpit inside Boljoon Church held great significance as the place where priests would stand to hold mass. In front of the pulpit are the six intricately carved wooden artworks featuring images of St. Augustine of Hippo, Saint Leo the Great, St. Thomas of Villanueva, St. Ambrose of Milan, and St. Gregory the Great. These panels were not just decorative; they were integral to the identity of the church—and Cebu—during the 19th century.

Only one panel was left behind, now on display at Boljoon’s parish museum.

It wasn’t just the panels that went missing. Other sacred items, including a silver altar set, a silver sanctuary lamp, a miniature silver bed of Bethlehem, an ivory crucifix, and a gold-plated chalice, also disappeared as reported by GMA News.

Fast forward to 2024, four of the missing six panels resurfaced at the NMP. They were unveiled as part of the museum's "Gift to the Nation" exhibit that February—much to the shock of Cebuanos, who immediately demanded its return.

How did the four pulpit panels end up at the National Museum of the Philippines?

The four panels were donated to the NMP by private collectors Edwin and Aileen Bautista. According to Cebu Daily News, Edwin is the president of the Union Bank of the Philippines, while Eileen is a professor at De la Salle-St. Benilde and Asia Pacific College. They said they acquired the four panels legally—a claim that was backed by the NMP.

"It is noteworthy to emphasize that our donors procured these specific panels through legitimate means, highlighting their commitment to ethical acquisition. Moreover, the donors' decision to acquire these artifacts and donate to the Philippines reflects their dedication to preserving cultural heritage and promoting patriotism," the NMP said in a statement in February 2024.

"We acknowledge the historical vulnerability of church artifacts to looting and improper disposal in the past. While ethical concerns may arise, it is essential to consider the intricate historical context influencing these actions."

Ivan Henares, a commissioner at the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, had also previously told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that "santero and antikero circles knew they [had been] sold by the parish priest to a collector in the 1980s...and the panels have actually changed hands many times."

Nevertheless, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma and Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia called out the NMP for holding onto what they argue are stolen sacred objects. Palma and Garcia pointed out that the panels were never deconsecrated, meaning their removal—and subsequent display in a museum—is a violation of canon law.

"While we understand the National Museum’s desire to exhibit the same to the general public, we have to assert the sacral nature of these panels. They are integral to the patrimony of the church as part of her missionary work and thus considered sacred... They should never have been treated, then or now, as mere artworks for exhibition in museum," Palma said in a statement.

Adding fuel to the fire, documents revealed that the NMP acknowledged Boljoon Church’s rightful ownership of the panels but included them in its exhibits under a deed of donation anyway. This raised accusations that the museum neglected its ethical obligations to return the artifacts to their place of origin.

Also read: National Museum of the Philippines Opens in Cebu City

Where are the four pulpit panels now?

In May 2024, the NMP Board of Trustees agreed to return the four pulpit panels to the Boljoon Church once restoration efforts are finished at the NMP. However, no timeline has been provided.

To make matters worse, Garcia said NMP proceeded with the restoration without proper agreement with the church, disregarding Palma’s ask to conduct the work in Boljoon to ensure transparency and authenticity.

"I shudder to think what it will look like now. Who is doing the restoration? We’d like to know. Where are the panels now?" Garcia was quoted by Rappler. "What is to stop people from suspecting that restoration, in fact, will be replication? No amount of convincing will do when the community will believe that this has been replicated, not restored."

It was also revealed that NMP sought to borrow the panel at the Boljoon parish museum for a one-year loan—a request that was quickly rejected by Palma.

On January 13, 2025, Garcia revealed her plans to file criminal complaints against National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) Director General Jeremy Barns and the Bautistas, accusing them of violating the Anti-Fencing Law and the Graft and Corrupt Practices Act due to the delayed return of the four pulpit panels.

"We have had enough, Mr. Barns. We will not take this lying down. I will leave no stone unturned until justice will be given to the Cebuanos," Garcia said. She also made a public appeal for the return of a sixth missing panel, claiming there would be no prosecution if returned in good faith.

SPOT.ph reached out to Barns for comment on the issue, but he has not responded as of writing.

2025-01-16T08:03:51Z