ILOILO – The National Museum of the Philippines has not issued a permit for treasuring hunting in Barangay Pasong, Igbaras, Iloilo.
Thus, according to National Museum director-general Jeremy Barns, the ongoing excavation at a private property there for alleged Yamashita treasure was “unauthorized and considered illegal.”
The local government of Igbaras recently inquired with the National Museum if it had issued a treasure hunting permit covering a property in Barangay Pasong. Nearby households feared the excavations would have adverse geological impact such as landslide, soil erosion and the earth caving in.
According to Barns, “upon due study and verification of our records”, it was found out that the permit in the possession of Noly Laquihon Bayogos, CPD-THP-2019-20 dated June 1, 2019, was in fact issued to somebody else – Leovigilda Uson / Francisco S. Dela Fuente on May 28, 2019 for Sitio Lanod, Barangay Punean, Carangalan, Nueva Ecijca.
Barns wrote a letter containing this information coursed to the local government of Igbaras for serving to Bayogos.
Igbaras’ Mayor Jaime Esmeralda confirmed having received the letter.
“All your treasure hunting works undertaken in the area under said treasure hunting permit (CPD-THP-2019-20) are deemed unauthorized and considered illegal, violating Republic Act No. 10066, the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009,” read part of Barns’ letter.
Under the law, all treasure hunting permits and licenses shall be issued by the National Museum of the Philippines.
Some residents of Barangay Pasong said the diggers were looking for the buried gold treasures of World War 2 Japanese general Tomoyuki Yamashita.
Barns ordered Bayogos to “cease and desist” from digging for treasuring hunting.
“This Office (also) reserves the right to (take) appropriate legal action against you without prejudice to other agencies’ right to file an action under their mandates and for people or properties largely affected by your illegal activities,” added Barns.
The National Museum chief also ordered Bayogos to rehabilitate the area that was already excavated.
The local government of Igbaras would be serving Bayogos the National Museum’s letter. Esmeralda said he would be coordinating with the Philippine National Police and Philippine Army.
The municipal government of Igbaras and barangay council of Pasong, according to
Esmeralda, have also not issued any permit for treasure hunting, ground excavation or mining in the village.
For his part, Barangay Captain Cornelio Elumba of Pasong dismissed speculations there could be Yamashita treasures buried in his village.
“Kon tuod nga may ara, kontani damo nga mal-am ang mahambal sina,” he said.
Yamashita was assigned to defend the Japan-colonized Philippines from the advancing Allied forces in the waning years of World War 2. He failed to stop the Allied advance, and Japan ultimately surrendered in August 1945.
Before his Philippine assignment, Yamashita and his men were said to have plundered other Southeast Asian countries that Japan attacked and/or invaded during the war and buried the loot in the Philippines./PN
