By Helen Castaño | 01:10 PM October 06, 2026
TAGBILARAN CITY — 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.
The bell went missing from Saint Peter Parish Church in Poblacion, Ondol, Loboc, at around 7:50 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 5, according to the Loboc Municipal Police Station.
Church personnel reported the disappearance to police about 10 minutes later, prompting investigators to review CCTV footage in the area.
The footage reportedly showed two people taking the brass bell and boarding a tricycle.
Police coordinated with the Sagbayan Municipal Police Station, which helped identify and locate one of the alleged perpetrators.
At around 1:50 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 6, police arrested the 25-year-old man, a scrap metal buyer and resident of Purok 6, Barangay Santa Cruz, Sagbayan.
A follow-up operation led police to Purok 2, Barangay Libertad, Tubigon, where the missing bell was recovered.
Police said the bell was reportedly made in 1914 and is believed to form part of the historical heritage of the parish.
A woman from Santa Cruz, Sagbayan, was also identified as allegedly involved in the theft, but remained at large as of Tuesday.
The tricycle allegedly used in the theft was placed under the temporary custody of the Sagbayan police for proper disposition.
The arrested suspect was brought to the Loboc police station for documentation and the filing of appropriate charges.
The operation was conducted by personnel of the Loboc and Sagbayan police stations under the supervision of Police Capt. Bill Rico Domling Dupagan, chief of the Loboc Municipal Police Station.
Police said they were continuing efforts to locate the remaining suspect.
The recovery came a day after the bell was reported missing, underscoring the role of CCTV footage and coordination among police stations in recovering the historical church property.
