The private auction of Katipunan Supremo Andres Bonifacio’s personal flag and other heritage items must be stopped immediately.

Heritage memorabilia and other historical articles must be acquired by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (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.

The Leon Gallery has announced that it will auction off the “personal flag” of Katipunan founder and national hero Andres Bonifacio on September 8, 2018 with bidding starting P1 million.

The flag, which used to hang in Bonifacio’s study, was sewn by his wife and fellow revolutionary Gregoria de Jesus.

In addition to the flag, also to be auctioned off is the Katipunan Decalogue or 10 Commandments of the revolutionary society said to be written by Bonifacio himself and the only known surviving picture of Bonifacio taken on his wedding day.

Completing the list of items to be auctioned off are historic Katipunan membership documents, epaulets and other insignia, and the ceremonial medal of the Katipunan council of officers.

Under Section 7 of RA No. 10086 creating the NHCP, it is mandated, among others, to “acquire important historical documents, collections, memorabilia and other objects that have significant historical value”.

The NHCP must immediately endeavor to have the auction canceled either by negotiation with Leon Gallery or by securing a court injunction.

To help the NHCP fulfill its mandate, I will file a bill appropriating an initial amount of P1 billion in the budget of the NHCP so that it could acquire historical memorabilia that have great historical importance.

EDCEL C. LAGMAN