By JEN BAYLON

The police have identified the suspect involved in the stolen artwork from the Hofileña Museum in Negros Occidental’s Silay City.

Silay police chief, Colonel Mark Anthony Darroca said one of the two suspects who stole the “Mango Harvesters” painting of National Artist Fernando Amorsolo, was identified by a pedicab driver.

The driver’s description of the male suspect matched the mugshot of one of their persons of interest.

Darroca said the pedicab driver transported them to the city public plaza after the incident.

The suspects boarded a Bacolod City-bound passenger jeepney.

An initial police investigation revealed that the suspects were part of a group of six who toured the museum last week.

City Tourism Office head Gerle Sulmaca said only one tour guide was on duty on the day the artwork was stolen.

Sulmaca said the group of tourists lingered on the second floor, where the painting was located.

The guide left the first batch of tourists, as the new group arrived for another tour.

Sulmaca said the painting was discovered missing when the first batch had already left the museum.

She added that the museum did not gather the visitors’ large bags before the tour because they were undermanned on that day.

They also did not have anyone manning the museum’s front door.

Earlier, the Silay City government offered a P25,000 cash reward to anyone who could provide information that would lead to the recovery of the painting.

Silay Mayor Joedith Gallego directed the city police to investigate the incident, and initiated the reward to expedite the search for the missing artwork.

The stolen painting, titled “Mango Harvesters,” valued at millions, was owned by the Hofileña family.

It was one of Amorsolo’s early works in 1936, measuring 12 by 18 inches, and was displayed on the second floor of the museum./JB, WDJ