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Stolen 1914 brass bell sold for P17,000 recovered in Bohol town

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Leo Udtohan

Stolen brass bell sold for P17,000 recovered in Bohol town — Police recovered a brass bell believed to date back to 1914 and arrested a 25-year-old man following an overnight operation after the century-old artifact was reported stolen from a church in Loboc, Bohol. (Photo courtesy of PNP-Loboc)

TAGBILARAN CITY— A brass bell, believed to be over a century old, has been recovered after police traced it to a scrap-metal buyer in Bohol who paid P17,000 for it.

The bell, reportedly made in 1914, was stolen from Saint Peter the Apostle Parish Church (popularly known as Loboc Church) in Loboc town, and discovered missing by church personnel at 7:50 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 5.

Police were alerted about 10 minutes later and immediately reviewed CCTV footage from the area.

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READ: Antique church bell stolen from Loboc Parish grounds

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The footage reportedly showed two people taking the bell and boarding a tricycle, giving investigators a lead that helped them identify the alleged perpetrators.

Police coordinated with the Sagbayan Municipal Police Station and arrested a 25-year-old male scrap-metal buyer from Purok 6, Barangay Santa Cruz, Sagbayan, at around 1:50 a.m. Tuesday.

The bell had already been sold to a scrap-metal buyer in Sagbayan for P17,000, according to the police report.

A follow-up operation led police to Purok 2, Barangay Libertad, Tubigon, also in Bohol, where they recovered the stolen bell.

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According to Fr. Agerio Paña, parish priest, the suspects had reportedly passed by their area several times before the theft.

Police said the suspects were expected to face charges on Tuesday.

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The tricycle allegedly used in the theft was also placed in the temporary custody of the Sagbayan police for proper disposition.

The arrested suspects were brought to the Loboc Municipal Police Station for documentation and the filing of appropriate charges.

Authorities recovered the bell less than 24 hours after it was reported missing, preserving an artifact believed to be part of the parish’s historical heritage.

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Police said the operation involved personnel from the Loboc and Sagbayan municipal police stations under the supervision of Police Capt. Bill Rico Domling Dupagan, chief of the Loboc police. /coa

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