ON THE 116th anniversary of the Balangiga uprising that dealt the occupying American troops a resounding defeat, negotiations are under way between the Philippines and the United States government to return the town’s church bells, President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday.
In his speech at the Eastern Samar town to mark the uprising’s anniversary, Duterte noted that he will try to be “friendlier” with the Western power as the country tries to take back the bells seized as booty during the Philippine-American War of 1901.
“I was advised by the Department of Foreign Affairs to temper my language and avoid cursing, which I am prone to do when I am emotional,” the President said.
“But I believe also that a lot of water has passed under the bridge, and of course the [American] liberation came (during World War 2), for the fact that they were present here and the Japanese came. there’s so many factors involved. But I’ll rather be friendly to them,” he added.
The President vowed that no bell will get seized again from the country—even the bells that ice cream vendors ring as they walk down the streets.
“Unless, we will be fighting at the airport,” Duterte said.
Earlier, Malacañang reiterated its calls for the return of the bells.
“Today, September 28, the nation remembers the 116th anniversary of the heroism and gallantry of our forebears in the municipality of Balangiga in Eastern Samar,” Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella told reporters.
“And we also reiterate our call for the rightful return of the bells to the country.”
The Palace welcomed the passage of a House of Representatives resolution seeking the United States’ return of the bells.
“The Balangiga bells are integral to our national heritage and the return of those historical relics is crucial to our collective memory and sense of nationhood,” Abella said.
HR 1337 expresses the House’s support to the appeal of President Rodrigo Duterte to the US government to return the Balangiga bells, which were taken as “trophies of war” by the American military troops in 1901.
“Return the Balangiga Bells. It’s ours. It’s part of our heritage,” says the resolution authored by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, House Majority Floor Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, Minority Leader Danilo Suarez, Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone and Northern Samar Rep. Raul Daza.
Duterte asked the Americans to return the bells during his second State of the Nation Address, insisting that they belonged to the Philippines and were part of the Filipinos’ national heritage.
US Ambassador Sung Kim earlier said returning the Balangiga bells was “the right thing to do” and vowed to work with the Philippine government “to come up with the right or the best solution” for the return of the bells.