ILOILO CITY—Police on Wednesday evening arrested 10 suspected treasure hunters who have been digging at a cemetery in San Joaquin town in Iloilo which has been declared a national cultural treasure.
The 10 men who were detained at the town’s police station have refused to issue statements aside from giving their names and addresses, according to Insp. Raymund Gemarino, the town’s police chief.
The said 10 men, none of whom were from San Joaquin, were believed to have been secretly digging inside the Campo Santo de San Joaquin, a mortuary chapel at the Spanish-era Catholic cemetery.
The cemetery, including the Campo Santo, was among the structures and sites declared as national cultural treasures by the National Museum of the Philippines.
The men failed to present any permit or documents authorizing their act, according to Gemarino.
Police have confiscated various pieces of equipment and gears including a metal detector, shovels, hoses and hard hats.
Gemarino said they will file complaints against those detained for violation of Republic Act 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009. RAM
RELATED STORIES
Contractor says ‘mambunong’ inspired diggings
Treasure hunters eyed in barangay Apas’ 100-feet deep pit