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Sunday, March 16, 2003
Burglars chop off church icon head
By Mia E. Abellana
CEBU -- A police station some 75 meters away did not stop burglars from breaking into a parish church in Poblacion, Badian, Cebu and stealing an image of St. James the Apostle, as well as the head of St. Joseph.
The burglars also took the priest's new chasuble (sutana), worth at least P5,000.
Last Thursday's theft was the 14th time a church in Cebu lost a religious icon since last year. It came exactly a week after thieves stole an 85-year-old ivory image of St. Michael the Archangel from a chapel in Barili.
The images of both St. James and St. Joseph, made of wood, have been in the Badian church since the Spaniards built it in 1825, said parish priest Rev. Fr. Nazario Vocales.
Vocales could not estimate the value of the icons, but said they were definitely worth thousands of pesos.
Parishioners said their patron's image had a helmet and sword made of silver and gold. His horse also reportedly had reins made of gold.
The burglars used a bolt cutter to saw off one of the grills and enter the church.
They took the image of St. James and his horse but left behind the base where the figure of a dying warrior and his spear were attached. (Devotees explained that St. James was the patron saint to pray to during times of war.)
The burglars left behind the bolt cutter and the icon's cape.
Put in safety
Caretaker Kayo Billarmino, 88, discovered the loss of the patron's image Thursday morning when parishioners were about to welcome the image of Blessed Pedro Calungsod.
The image of Pedro Calungsod is being toured around the province in preparation for his feast day next month.
After the theft, Vocales had the rest of the images inside the church covered with cloth and hid some of the more valuable ones in the convent.
He said they do not have security guards because the police station is only a stone's throw away from the church grounds.
He had the church perimeter lighted after a burglar stole a donated
compact disc player from the church last year.
PO1 Bismarck Babiera, Badian police desk officer, told Sun.Star they had no leads yet, as nobody who witnessed the crime or noticed anybody lurking around the vicinity came forward to volunteer information.
Episcopal Vicar Msgr. Esteban Binghay pointed out Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal already issued a circular to priests telling them to deposit their valuable antiques at the Archbishop's Palace.
Binghay said that if they are not capable of guarding the Archdiocese's properties themselves, they should keep the valuables elsewhere.
Secure antiques
However, this must get the approval of the parish council.
"They must do everything they can to protect those icons. If they cannot afford to secure the antiques, they should deposit these at the Archbishop's Palace," Binghay told Sun.Star.
Vidal had told his priests to check the physical condition of their churches to see if these are prone to burglaries.
Binghay said the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 already assured them that burglaries were being looked into, but they have not received any progress reports.
"We cannot blame the police because they are taking care of the whole town. The more they should be vigilant, especially now that we already know there are so many burglaries," he said in a phone interview.
"The circular still stands. It is being enforced," Binghay added.
Parishioners claimed that this was not the first time their church was victimized.
In 1979, five chalices and the pulpit, all from the Spanish period, were taken.
In 2000, the image of the Lady of Good Counsel was also stolen, even if it was hidden inside the convent.
Years ago, they also said the image of St. James was once taken to the city to be fixed and when it was returned, one of his horse's reins was missing.
He will return
But the saint reportedly could not accept it and parishioners swore they heard a horse galloping, as though uneasy that one of his reins was missing.
The thief was reportedly bothered by his conscience and returned the missing rein, leaving it right by the icon.
Vocales could not attest to these stories, though, saying he only assumed as parish priest in July last year.
But parishioners remain confident their patron will return soon.
"He must be in Cotabato or Iraq. He will come back after the war," a parishioner said.
Before last Thursday's burglary, the icon of St. Michael the
Archangel was stolen from a chapel in Barangay Dakit, Barili last March 8.
Last year, the towns of San Remigio, Badian, Alcoy, Boljoon, Dalaguete, Catmon, Cordova, Pinamungajan and Sibonga also lost valuable antique icons to burglars.
Police have yet to identify the suspects or the syndicate behind the thefts.
(March 16, 2003 issue)
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