Dumaguete police identify the thief of patron saint's left hand, no charges will be filed

The Dumaguete police have identified the person who took the left hand of the statue of Saint Catherine of Alexandria but the item was already deemed "destroyed and unrecoverable."

The Dumaguete Cathedral CCTV footage showed that on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, a woman entered the church, approached the statue, took the antique hand and placed it in her bag before leaving.

In a statement, Dumaguete Cathedral officials said the woman was identified as "Natty" and found to be from Barangay Banilad in Dumaguete City.

"Police investigators under PCapt. Nelmer Miravalles said, the suspect is currently struggling with mental health issues, this according to a psychiatrist," the church officials said.

"Police added that the missing part of the statue had already been destroyed and unrecoverable."

Cathedral rector and parish team moderator, Rev. Msgr. Robert Bongoyan, "expressed that filing criminal charges would not be necessary."

"Instead, he advised the suspect's family to seek treatment and support her recovery." — BAP, GMA News