Where saints are behind bars

CHURCH THIEVES. Thieves wherever they are are not choosy. The steal even santoses or religious images. In Laguna there is a church where the altars have iron grills to protect the religious icons from thieves. “Our saints -- or their images -- look like prisoners behind bars but people understand why,” a native of Laguna told The Ear.

BURGLAR ALARM. Another church in Laguna whose officials cannot afford to install iron grills have instead installed burglar alarm devices, according to our source. An Ear informer said the religious images in Laguna churches are the so-called “apples of the eyes” of thieves becuase these are mostly made of hardwood sculpted by Paete artisans.