Left photo: Gov. Gwen Garcia, courtesy of Sugbo News. Right photo: The Boljoon pulpit panels, courtesy of the National Museum of the Philippines
CEBU CITY, Philippines — For apparently ignoring requests from Cebu province and the Roman Catholic Church here, the executive director of the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) might face charges over the controversial Boljoon pulpit panels.
Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia announced on Monday, January 13, that they decided to take legal action in the hopes of getting the historic panels back home.
During a presser, the governor said she intends to lodge civil -and possibly criminal – cases against NMP Director Jeremy Barns.
READ:
National Museum assures return of Boljoon panels
Calls to return Boljoon panels reach House
She accused Barns for not responding to their requests to have the panels returned to Boljoon as well as proceeding with restoration efforts without coordination from their rightful owners — the Archdiocese of Cebu.
The Archdiocese of Cebu has also backed Garcia in pursuing legal action against the National Museum, with Archbishop Jose Palma issuing a Special Power of Attorney for the governor.
Calling him out for his ‘arrogant disregard’, the Capitol mulls charging Barns for violating the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, the Anti-Fencing Law, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009.
“Nakaminus ni sila nato? Makaduda ba, very suspicious actions. To say the least, disrespectful, insulting to the Archdiocese and to the Cebuanos,” Garcia said.
(They are looking down on us? It is very doubtful, very suspicious actions. To say the least, disrespectful, insulting to the Archdiocese and to the Cebuanos.
Barns and the National Museum of the Philippines have yet to issue a statement in response to this development.
The controversy over the Boljoon pulpit panels, depicting Saint Augustine of Hippo, first rose when the NMP unveiled them as their newest collecting during a turnover ceremony in 2024.
However, Cebuano historians and experts quickly pointed out that the ‘latest collection of historic pulpit panels’ at the National Museum turned out to be the missing pulpit panels of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria Santisima in Boljoon town, southern Cebu.
Missing for several decades, many — including the Roman Catholic church and local authorities — believed that the panels were stolen and eventually ended up in the black market.
During the turnover ceremony last year, NMP revealed that the panels were donated to them by private collectors, Eileen and Edwin Bautista.
The Bautista couple may also face charges for allegedly buying stolen properties, Garcia said.
Restoration efforts
Earlier, Barns assured that they would return the pulpit panels within the later part of 2025, citing restoration process needed before these could be transported back to Cebu.
But Garcia criticized the National Museum for not informing them that restorative works would proceed, and without coordinating with them.
According to the governor, the province, Archdiocese of Cebu and the Boljoon Municipal government had even proposed conducting the restoration here, under the watch of experts from Cebu.
In this manner, it would dispel insinuation that the NMP might be duplicating the valuable panels so they can keep the original ones.
“Why the need to do restoration in the secrecy of wherever these works are being done, without any witness from any of us?” said Garcia.
“Nakaminus ni sila nato? Kon naa moy buhaton ani, naa unta mi mga testigo para di mi makaingon nga naghimo-himo mo og lain nga maoy inyong i-turnover,” she added.
(They are looking down at us? If they would do something in this, there should be witnesses so no one could say that you were making another one that you will turnover.)