Balangiga Bells: The Long‑Awaited Homecoming
From War Memorials to a Sacred Sanctuary
Imagine a weary cargo plane landing at a Manila air base, and on the runway… the Bells of Balangiga gleaming like trophies of history. After a century of being treated as war souvenirs and traveling from Wyoming to a South Korean army museum, the bells finally found their way back to the church that once rang them as a call to battle.
Emotional Reactions on Arrival
Father Lentoy Tybaco, the parish priest who’d spent years pleading for their return, shared a mix of excitement and tears on local TV as the bells were pulled from their boxes and set onto the sacred floor. “I’m a little bit excited and a little bit emotional. At last we have seen the bells,” he laughed, a moment of relief that felt almost cinematic.
The Story Behind the Bells
- In 1901, after a U.S. ambush that cost 48 American lives, U.S. troops retaliated in Balangiga, massacring Filipino civilians.
- The bells were originally rung to signal the attack; they became symbols of resistance against colonial rule.
- Decades later, U.S. veterans in Wyoming and lawmakers successfully lobbied to keep the bells as a memorial, leading to legislation that made their removal nearly impossible.
Why This Matters to President Duterte
President Rodrigo Duterte had asked for the bells’ return every year in his State of the Nation address. His often sharp criticism of Washington’s “hypocrisy, arrogance, and interference” came even as he maintained a tight U.S.–Philippines defense alliance and didn’t visit the U.S. (calling it “lousy”). The return, however, could soften his stance, as his foreign minister hinted a change of heart might come with the bells’ arrival.
U.S. Perspective and the Diplomatic Gesture
U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim described the return as “overwhelmingly viewed as the right thing to do.” He wrote in the Philippine Star: “\Our militaries have fought together, bled together, at times died together. As your ally and friend, we will forever honour and respect this shared history.”
Looking Ahead: A Symbol for Reconciliation
With the bells now back in a church, they serve as a reminder that history isn’t just about conflict. It’s about how both nations can come together, reflect, and move forward with respect for the painful chapters that shaped them.
