'Return of Balangiga bells time for healing, closure'
MANILA, Philippines — The return of three church bells taken as war booty from Balangiga, Eastern Samar more than a century ago symbolize "something precious" to both the Philippines and the United States, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Tuesday.
The historic bells landed at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City aboard a US Air Force C-130. US Ambassador to Manila Sung Kim officially turned the bells over to the Philippines during a handover ceremony.
"They are going back to where they belong. It is time for healing, it is time for closure, it is time to look ahead as two nations should with shared history and as allies," Lorenzana said in a speech.
In his speech, Lorenzana also acknowledged American businessman Henry Howard for playing a major role in the efforts to return the Balangiga bells.
Howard, who is Philippine Honorary Consul in Miami, Florida, shouldered the cost of bells' reefurbishing the bells and transporting them from Wyoming to Philadelphia.
Two of the bells were initially displayed as a memorial at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming while the third one was at a US Army regiment in South Korea.
Other than being spoils of war, the Balangiga bells symbolize unity and national identity, according to Lorenzana.
"How could mere three church bells evoke so much intense emotion among Filipinos and Americans? Maybe because we human beings live by symbols such as our national flag and, in this instance, these bells," Lorenzana said.
Replicas of the historic bells will replace the original ones that were repatriated to the Philippines.
Closure to 'painful episode of history'
The Defense secretary expressed hopes that the return of the bells would serve as closure and would no longer remind both countries of "that painful episode of our joint history."
Lorenzana also quoted US Defense Secretary James Mattis who previously said, "To those who think that we are losing something by returning the bells, please hear me out when I say that the bells mark time but courage is timeless. It does not fade in history in dimly-lit corridors nor is it forgotten in this hisotry of conflict.
For Washington, the return of the Balangiga bells reflect the Philippines-US relationship, which Ambassador Kim described as "enduring and deeply personal."
"The bells’ return reflects the strong bonds and mutual respect between our nations and our peoples. It demonstrates our determination to honor the past and the sacrifices made together by Filipinos and Americans. And it heralds our bright future as friends, partners, and allies," Kim said during the handover ceremony.
Following the ceremony at Villamor Air Base, the bells are expected to be returned to their original home, the Church of San Lorenzo de Martir in Balangiga, Eastern Samar.
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