Amorsolo painting stolen from Negros Occidental museum

An 88-year-old piece by the late National Artist Fernando Amorsolo was stolen from a museum in Silay, Negros Occidental. 

In a Facebook post by Silay Heritage on Friday, Amorsolo’s “Mango Harvesters” (1936) was reportedly stolen at the Hofileña Museum. 

“Please help in the recovery of this important piece of Philippine art,” the group said. 

“If you have information please contact 09985987443/09989674432 (Silay PNP) or report to the nearest authorities.” 

The Hofileña Museum is a heritage house built in 1934 by the late Manuel Severino Hofileña and Gilda Ledesma Hojilla. 

It houses a private collection of works from renowned Filipino artists such as Amorsolo, Juan Luna, and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo, among others.

According to the report by GMA Regional TV’s Aileen Pedreso in “24 Oras Weekend,"  one of the museum personnel said that the art piece was reported missing on Wednesday, July 3.

The report also said that the tour guides were not able to notice that the suspects had already gone to the second floor of the museum due to the large number of visitors at the time.

“It seemed that they knew already. When they went upstairs, they knew where to get it,” said museum administrator Rene Hofileña in Hiligaynon.

“They have already studied even the timing of the tour,” he added.

The Silay City Police Station already has a copy of the CCTV footage from the museum, and it has already identified persons of interest behind the theft.

The report said that one of the suspects hid the painting inside a bag, and they got out of the museum.

''The painting was just hanging on the wall. It was discreetly taken behind the museum's visitors' backs,” said Silay City Police Station chief Police Lieutenant Colonel Mark Anthony Darroca. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/VAL/VBL, GMA Integrated News