source of pride and insPiration for BY JovEE MARIE N. DELA CRUZ tionintheOfficeof theMayor' During as mayol, dveryvisitor, every Manileio and everYone who { gloveematie our nine Years always marveled visited City HalI then. Ir{anilanor foreign' at the grandeur ofthis Price- "This is exactlY the PurPose of flORMER Manila MaYor and less artwork," Atienza said' Mavor Villeqas who aPProPriated k now BuhaY ReP. I.ito Atienza "That Painting belongs publi. fund" the L has filed a resolution calling "nd.ommissioned for an immediate investigation into to Manila and should be oaintine. No one has the right to re-installed in CitY Hall. the disaPPearance of the Botong ioan or I'end it to anybody ltmust be We will push for [a] con- Francisco muralf rom the Btrlwagang returned to its original place ilr the sressional inquiry to Pin- Antonio J. Villegas at the Manila Bulwaeanin deference to the maYor Citv Hall. ioint responsibilitYforthis vi- injustice to the PeoPle of who, iihis patriotic and cultural ircordins to Atienza, the mural, said' which had blen declared a National Manila. And if necessary sion, had it made," he
Cultural Treasure in 1996, has been
charges should be filed against those who h-ave hailed by art exPerts as Botong's tt lastmasterpiece and greatestextant been remiss in their dutY to safeguardthe interest of FAG- -Ag'l work of art. "When t attended the inaugu- Manilins," Atienza added' The mural dePicts the ral ceremonies of newlY elected \ ' Mavor Isko Moreno a few weeks history of Manila an&its I that instead of the imDortant role in our na- "go, ""v./ Botonq masterPiece. what was ti#s history and develoP- instalGd in the Bulwagan is.a ment, he added. "We have filed a resolu- poor tarPaulin rePlica! This is tion callingfor an immedi- not only illegal. but it is a big slap to Manilans who are asking the ate conglessional inquiry ouestion-where is our master- into the whereabouts of iiece?" the lawmaker said' the masterPiece bY Nation- "Tt disapPeared from the Bulwa- al Artist Carlos 'Botong qan t2 years ago and until now has Francisco. This Priceless int treen returned," he added' obra maestra, eotltled FiIi- pino Struggles through His- The lawmaker saidit behooves all administrations of the citY to tolY, was commissioned protect its existence, saYing the by then-MaYor Villegas in 1968," he said. priceless artwork maY now be worth billions of Pesos' Atienza added the mu- "This used to be the maior attrac- ral has alwaYs been a