Leon Gallery successfully auctioned off Filipino hero Andrés Bonifacio’s personal Katipunan flag for a cool PHP9.3 million (more than US$172,572) on Saturday. This pushed through despite an appeal from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) to stop it.
The NHCP’s appeal came after a statement released late last month by Albay Congressman Edcel Lagman where he called on government agencies to halt the auction of the historical memorabilia.
In a phone interview with Coconuts Manila, Leon Gallery’s director Jaime Ponce de Leon said that canceling the auction was out of the question. “We have obligations to consigners. They are owned by the families. The moment we give in, we will lose.”
The flag, which was sewn by Bonifacio’s wife Gregoria de Jesus, was auctioned off starting from the floor price of PHP1 million (more than US$18,551), reported the Philippine Daily Inquirer. It was given by de Jesus herself to a certain Antonio Santos Bautista of Malolos, Bulacan.
The Bautista family was then the one who decided to auction off the relic.
In his Aug. 31 statement, Lagman said historical memorabilia such as the flag should be acquired by the NHCP.
“Heritage memorabilia and other historical articles must be acquired by the NHCP on behalf of the government for posterity rather than allowing them to be auctioned to private collectors, with the possibility that these historical articles will go to foreigners or foreign places beyond the access and appreciation of generations of Filipinos.”
De Leon said however that while the NHCP made the appeal, they did not participate in the auction.
The director of the 8-year-old gallery said that the government doesn’t need original copies of the artifacts.
“They [historical artifacts] bring to life the missing pieces of our history. The auction showed that they are relevant and important to us today. They really don’t need the originals. The facsimile [copies] are fine. The private sector will do a good job of keeping it [the original copy].”
He adds: “Our politicians should appreciate these auctions because this is the time we can see these things.”
De Leon refused to divulge the identity of the winning bidder.
Other artifacts sold were a handwritten 10 Commandments believed to be written by Bonifacio, his only surviving photograph, Katipunan membership documents, and a Katipunan brass medallion.
According to De Leon, the NHCP did not halt the auction of these artifacts and focused only on Bonifacio’s flag.
Coconuts Manila tried to ask for NHCP’s statement regarding the auction but was told no one has been authorized to speak regarding the matter.
Bonifacio is often referred to as the “Father of the Philippine Revolution.” He was one of the founders and later chosen as the supreme leader of the Kataas-taasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan or the Katipunan, a movement that sought to overthrow the Philippines’ Spanish colonizers. He was executed after being falsely accused of treason and sedition.
