Cops recover stolen church ivory images, nab suspect
GUAGUA, Pampanga—Two stolen antique ivory images of the Virgen de la Correa and the Child Jesus were recovered by the Caloocan City and Guagua police in separate operations this week.
Superintendent Angelito Esteban, Guagua police chief, said Senior Superintendent Bernard Tambauan, Caloocan City police director, had turned over the images and the suspect, Jeffrey Quintos, to police here.
The images were reported missing from the Betis Church on June 30.
Esteban said the Guagua police tracked down the head, hands and accessories of the Virgen de la Correa to a house in Barangay (village) San Basilio in nearby Sta. Rita town, Pampanga province.
The thief abandoned the image’s body at the side altar of the church.
Fr. Reynaldo de la Cruz, head of the St. James the Apostle Parish in the old district of Betis, took custody of the images, which would serve as sets of evidence against Quintos, who is facing robbery charges.
Quintos is detained at the municipal jail here.
Guagua Mayor Dante Torres said tighter laws were needed against the theft of church property, particularly items that have heritage value.
The images have been in the 1790 inventory of property owned by the Betis Church, which the government declared a national cultural treasure in 2009 due to its elaborate illustrations of Bible stories on ceilings and walls as well as its architectural features.
Records showed that Quintos had escaped twice from the Pampanga provincial jail, the last on June 8, according to Edwin Mangaliman, provincial warden.
The suspect falsely identified himself to the authorities as Niño Quintana, Mangaliman said.
Torres said he discovered Quintos’ identity when he found a document marked with the letterhead, “Pampanga Provincial Jail,” in the suspect’s bag.
Esteban said the Caloocan police arrested Quintos in Monumento as he tried to sell the Child Jesus image. His accomplice, identified only as “Saddam,” is at large.
Asked if Quintos has accomplices among church workers or parishioners, Esteban said this was still under investigation.
Because this was the second time that the Child Jesus image was recovered, Pampanga Gov. Lilia Pineda said: “It looks like the Child Jesus did not want to leave Betis. [The recovery] strengthened my belief that the image is miraculous.” Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon
