BACOLOD CITY — The Silay City Police Station in Negros Occidental believes that the two suspects in the Fernando Amorsolo painting heist could be part of an organized crime group.

LtCol. Mark Anthony Darroca, Silay police chief, said that based on closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage, a woman and a man were seen stealing the Mango Harvesters, a 12x18 inches 1936 masterpiece by the national artist, from the second floor of the Hofileña Heritage House and Museum in Barangay 1, Silay City on July 3.

Darroca said the suspects joined a group of six persons during a museum tour and left with the painting concealed in a bag after 15 minutes.

He said that the suspects used fictitious names in the logbook and used an address in this city.

The suspects were wearing caps and face masks when they entered the museum and targeted the prized painting by Amorsolo among all the art pieces in the second floor of the museum, Darroca said.

The room also contains paintings and sketches by national artists Juan Luna, Felix Resurrecion Hidalgo, Fernando Amorsolo, Ang Kiukok, Vicente Manansala, H.R. Ocampo and Ben Cabrera. There is also a sketch made by the young Jose Rizal.

Darroca said they have coordinated with the Bacolod City Police Office to track down the suspects.

He said that they will also tap the help of the cybercrime group to enhance the CCTV footage for the identification of the suspects who he believed are not from Negros Occidental.

Darroca said that Mayor Joedith Gallego has directed the police to locate the suspects and recover the painting.

"The painting was just hanging on the wall. It was discreetly taken behind the museum's visitors' backs," Darroca said.

P25,000 reward

The city government of Silay, meanwhile, has offered a P25,000 cash reward for information that would lead to the arrest of the suspects and recovery of the stolen Amorsolo painting.

Gallego said that tourist police are regularly roving in the city but after the incident, he said that he will add more city personnel in museums to prevent a similar incident.

He considered this as "an isolated case and he is hoping to immediately recover the painting."

City tourism officer Gerle Sulmaca said that they are "shocked and saddened by the incident."

"This is the first time that this has happened," she said.

Sulmaca also told The Manila Times on Saturday that a total of 30 police personnel have been trained as tourist police in Silay City.

The city government will augment the museum's personnel, she said.

Premeditated

"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."

The arts and culture community in Negros Occidental has joined the call for the recovery of the painting.

"Let us all help to find the stolen Amorsolo from the Hofileña Heritage House," Tey Sevilleno, president of the Art Association of Negros and Bacolod, said in a Facebook post on Saturday.

"Please share. Let us all help our local museums secure their art and exhibits. Let us help each other."

According to mutualart.com the value of an Amorsolo ranges from $93 to $882,251 depending on the size and medium of the artwork.

The Hofileña Museum is a heritage house built in 1934 by the late Manuel Severino Hofileña and Gilda Ledesma Hojilla. It was later managed by cultural tourism advocate Ramon Hofileña, who passed away in 2021.

The museum is considered by the family as its maternal ancestral house.