BY ADRIAN STEWART CO and PRINCE GOLEZ
MANILA – The United States military plans to return to the Philippines the church bells that American soldiers took a from a town as war booty more than a century ago.
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis has notified the US Congress about their intention to give back the Balangiga bells – named after the town of origin, Balangiga in Eastern Samar – taken in 1901 during the Philippine-American war, a statement from the US Embassy in Manila said.
“But no specific date has been identified for the return,” the US Embassy said.
“We are aware that the bells of Balangiga have deep significance for a number of people,” the statement added. “We’ve received assurances that the bells will be returned to the Catholic Church and treated with the respect and honor they deserve.”
Malacañang welcomed the plan.
“We have been informed of the announcement by the US Department of Defense about the Balangiga bells,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said in a statement on Sunday.
“We welcome this development as we look forward to continue working with the United States government in paving the way for the return of the bells to the Philippines,” Roque added.
The Philippines has long been requesting the United States to return the stolen bells but the US has refused. President Rodrigo Duterte recently advocated strongly for the return of the bells.
The ringing of the bells signaled an attack by Filipino guerillas on US troops belonging to the 9th Infantry Regiment. The attack killed 48 American soldiers, including their commander.
In retaliation the US soldiers set the town on fire and killed all Filipinos 10 years old and above, or those fit enough to carry a rifle. The operation left more than 2,500 Filipinos dead.
As war booty the American soldiers took the Balangiga bells. Two of the bells are at the Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming while the third is part of a traveling museum./PN
