The National Bureau of Investigation-Special Task Force (NBI-STF), on Thursday arrested two individuals in Quezon City, for selling a stolen painting of National Artist Fernando Amorsolo.

Director Jaime Santiago said that the special task received an information that a certain “Atty. Ching” was selling Amorsolo painting in Quezon City. According to the subject, he could bring the 1936 Mango Harvesters, a painting of Amorsolo, to possible buyers, which was sold for only P3.5 million.

Santiago added that according to the Bacolod City Police, the Amorsolo painting was stolen by two unidentified subjects from Hofilena Museum in Silay City, Negros Occidental in the morning of July 3.

NBI-STF operatives hatched an entrapment operation. On Thursday, operatives proceeded to the target area in Tomas Morato, Quezon City where the supposed selling of the Amorsolo painting would take place.

Two persons identified as Ritz Chona Ching and Donecio Somaylo delivered the Amorsolo painting, as instructed by “Atty. Ching”.

Upon confirmation that the painting brought by the subjects was the stolen Amorsolo painting, STF operatives placed Ching and Somaylo under arrest for possession and selling stolen property in violation of P.D. 1612 otherwise known as Anti-Fencing Law.

Subjects were presented before Office of the Inquest Prosecutor, Department of Justice. NBI