Philippines confident of recovering Balangiga bells from US

MANILA, Philippines -  The Philippines is confident that many in the United States government will work with it to recover the Balangiga bells as a gesture and symbol of goodwill.

In his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, Duterte demanded from the US the return of the bells that American soldiers took from a church in Balangiga, Eastern Samar in 1901.

The bells were taken as war booty after the Balangiga massacre, where a number of Filipinos and Americans were killed.

“The bells, anything that the President says is a priority,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said in a press conference.

“I’m sure that many people in the US government will work with us toward recovering these and be a good gesture and symbol,” he said.

The US vowed on Tuesday to find resolution to the issue of the Balangiga bells after Duterte’s demand.

“Give us back those Balangiga bells. They are ours... Isauli naman ninyo. Masakit ’yun sa amin (Please return the bells. That was painful for us),” Duterte said.

US Ambassador Sung Kim, who attended the SONA at the Batasan Pambansa, showed no emotion as his face was flashed on the large screen.

The ambassador was later shown without a headphone as he went on watching the President deliver his address.