Hear, hear, the bells are here

For once, there is overwhelming unanimity in the national jubilation when three Balangiga bells – spirited out of a war-ravaged town of Samar as war trophy during the Philippine-American war – were finally brought back home to us. This we saw in the press statements issued yesterday by everyone elated in this historic return of the bells.

Crossing party lines, politicians from both administration and opposition as well as from the country’s Catholic Church leadership to various civil society groups and personalities lauded President Rodrigo Duterte for this feat. Perhaps, the praises heaped on President Duterte were given grudgingly.

But still there is recognition that President Duterte has done such feat no one was able to do all this time.

We have all chronicled the long journey of the three bells from where they were first taken to the United States all the way when the initial efforts to bring them back first started. Still pounding the Malacañang beat as a young reporter several moons ago, the first official act to retrieve them actually began during the term of the late president Corazon Aquino from 1986 to 1992.

Former press secretary Tomas “Buddy” Gomez III, now a private citizen living in the US, narrated in his Cyberbuddy blog for ABS-CBN how the first initiatives to retrieve the bells started. Let me reprint excerpts of what Gomez wrote in his blog and posted on Oct. 30, 2017 while the return of the bells literally was still hanging up in the air:

“…Until some 30 years or so ago, the Philippine Government did not really have any official cognizance of the matter. There was, however, a claim by two Honolulu, Hawaii-based individuals of having approached and written the Philippine Government about the presence of these Bells at the F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming “made during the Marcos era.” Their entreaties were never answered. But they persisted, undiscouraged, and acted anew.

On May 8, 1987, a Mr. John Witeck (who I came to know as a University of Hawaii graduate in Asian Studies, a social activist and a staff member of the United Public Workers) wrote to me at the Philippine Consulate in Honolulu. I had been serving then as the Consul General for a little over a year. He said: “A good friend... Mr. Walter Kundis…informed me that some years ago he discovered the presence of….church bells stored on the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming.” He went on to share some historical information on the Bells along with his sentiments saying: “they should be returned to the people of the Philippines.” Until then, I knew nothing of the Bells, much less its location. Neither did anyone in government nor in academia.

He ended his letter: “Please let us know if you or your government are interested in the return of these bells…” He offered contact with Mr. Kundis, a union member and steward, a WW II veteran, for additional information. Mr. Witeck also indicated that he will address Hawaii Senator Spark Matsunaga requesting “his assistance in arranging the return of the bells to the people of the Philippines.” 

In his May 22 letter to Sen. Matsunaga, Mr. Witeck wrote: “Please assist us in the project of returning church and mission bells to the Philippine churches and people.” Sen. Matsunaga did, in fact, write the Department of the Air Force and provided Mr. Witeck a copy of the reply. Sen. Matsunaga noted that “...the US Air Force is not willing to release them at this time.“ The Consulate was provided a copy of the Air Force reply. 

Obviously, Warren Air Base top brass had already been alerted about a Philippine intent to officially claim the Bells. The Air Force’s response may also have been the basis for objections coming from local politicians and members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

It would have been highly irresponsible for the Consulate General not to have acted positively on this opportunity for a very significant historical restoration provided by Mr. John Witeck. It was 1987, then, when with quiet little steps, the retrieval mission was commenced.

It was not until March of 1989, however, when the “Subject: Bells of Balangiga” was officially reported to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, as a Consulate General initiative, reporting the Consular level progress thus far, utilizing contacts with the Pacific Air Force and the Commander-in-Chief through Foreign Policy Advisor, Dr. John D. Finney Jr. All documentation was provided our Foreign Affairs department.

When President Cory Aquino recalled me back to the country to join the Cabinet as her Press Secretary in Jan. 1, 1990, the “Bells” was off my hands. I was however much elated when then Secretary of National Defense Fidel V. Ramos took up the matter privately with then US Defense Secretary Dick Cheney, who came late in March for consultative meetings. Sec. Ramos provided Sec. Cheney copies of all my “Bells” documentation and communications.

When Fidel V. Ramos became President, with Raul Rabe as the Philippine Ambassador to Washington DC, the real big game of diplomatic pursuit for the “Bells” was in full throttle. Ambassador Rabe was the point man who almost singlehandedly marshaled his resources to achieve the recovery. Unfortunately, his best of efforts and intentions were stalled by local Wyoming politics, bureaucracy and perhaps a misinterpretation of historical ties between America and the Philippines.”

Being a graduate of the West Point Military Academy of New York, Mr. Ramos tried his best but it was to no avail.

When she assumed office at Malacañang, former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo also tried to charm her former Georgetown University classmate, then US President Bill Clinton to help her bring back the bells to the Filipinos. But she, too, got nowhere to getting them back to our country.

It took a foul-mouthed President Duterte ranting against the Americans on the Balangiga massacre to get the bells back to us. Hear, hear, the bells are now back here in our country. The Palace calls it political will.