Charges for theft will be filed against two persons who stole an 88-year-old painting from a museum in Silay City, Negros Occidental.

The incident on July 3, 2024 happened in the Hofileña Museum in Silay City.

The painting dubbed “Mango Harvesters” was done by National Artist Fernando Amorsolo.

According to the Silay City Police, the suspects (a man and a woman) whose identities are still withheld, took a fastcraft to Iloilo City immediately after they had stolen the artwork.

They were tracked down in Iloilo where the suspected mastermind is from.

According to police investigation, the plan to steal the painting started last year.

The painting is kept currently at the National Museum of the Philippines where it was taken after personnel of the National Bureau of Investigation recovered the item.

The Hofileña family made a court appeal to have the artwork, being an important Philippine Art collection in their family museum, be returned to Silay City.