Duterte to attend rites for Balangiga bells’ return

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte will witness tomorrow the handover of the Balangiga bells, which Malacañang sees as an affirmation of the “enduring” and “strong” ties between the Philippines and its traditional ally, the United States.

“The Palace enthusiastically awaits the arrival of the Balangiga bells to the country on Tuesday,” presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement over the weekend.

“We thank them for this gesture that would formally put closure to a tragic and contentious episode in both our countries’ history,” he added, referring to the US.

The bells were seized by American troops as war trophy in 1901.

Panelo said the handover of the bells tomorrow in a ceremony at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City will also serve as a reminder to the US that it had also committed human rights violations.

“The Americans killed many of our countrymen and seized the bells. The return of the bells is historic... We thank them for returning the bells and at the same time, we remind them that in the past, they violated human rights. That has to be remembered so it could serve as a lesson,” the presidential spokesman said in a radio interview.

“That (killing of Filipinos) will forever remain as a debt of America. They have to pay for that in whatever manner. It will be up to them to decide how they intend to pay that debt,” he added.

During the war in 1901, one of the three bells rang seconds after Filipino freedom fighters attacked American forces stationed in Eastern Samar.

A total of 48 American soldiers died during the assault, prompting US general Jacob Smith to order his troops to turn Samar into a “howling wilderness.”

Retaliating American soldiers killed more than 2,500 Filipinos and took three bells from the town church as war trophies.

Two of the bells were brought to a military base in Cheyenne, Wyoming while one was displayed at a museum in South Korea.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, US Ambassador Sung Kim and Philippine security officials are expected to attend the handover rites, which will put closure to an infamous episode of the Filipino-American war.

Lorenzana earlier said the aircraft carrying the three bells will arrive at the air base before lunch. He said he will sign a document stating that he is accepting the bells from the US.

Previous Philippine presidents called for the return of the bells but were unsuccessful.

In his second State of the Nation Address last year, Duterte demanded the return of the bells, saying they are part of Philippine heritage.

The American government agreed to return the bells after a law prohibiting the return of war memorial objects expired last September.