(Photo grabbed from Wikipedia)
ANGELES CITY – Controversy on the Balangiga Bells dates back to the Philippine-American War in Samar in 1901. But their pending return was initiated in this city, not by Filipinos but Americans who mostly had been stationed in the former US Air Force base here.
No date has yet been fixed on when the Balangiga Bells, two of three still in a military base in Wyoming in the US, would be returned to the Philippines, although “logistics to make it happen is a work in progress.”
American war Veteran Dennis Wright, a local businessman who was among those who had initiated moves for the return of the historic bells, told Punto, however, that all impediments that prevented the return of the bells have already been resolved.
While Pres. Duterte’s demand was likely a significant factor that has led to the return of the Balangiga Bells, the effort was actually initiated by Wright and other American war veterans who have regarded this city as home.
These Americans belong to the local chapter of the US Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and American Legion, who had been stationed at the former 13th US Air Force Base here and stayed on as repatriates raising families with Filipino wives in this city.
Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez announced recently the return of the Balangiga Bells, after he and US Defense Sec. James Mattis led last Nov. 14 a turnover ceremony held at the F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming where two of the bells are on display. A third bell has remained at a US military base in South Korea.
Wright, who attended the rites provided Punto with a copy of his congratulatory letter to his compatriots, saying, “I want to especially thank our local Angeles City Posts of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion, Posts 2485 and Post 123 respectively, for helping lead the way that resulted in National Resolutions of support, as well as our entire veteran community worldwide who wrote letters to their elected members of Congress and the Department of Defense.”
He also acknowledged “the strong support from the US–Philippine Society and all the Friends of the Philippines who worked to help make this happen,” adding “it truly was a great team effort.”
Wright said the ceremonies at the Wyoming military base marked “the beginning of the process to return the bells to the parishioners of the Church of San Lorenzo de Martir in Balangiga.”
He noted, however, that “no dates have been established as to when the bells will be in the Philippines as the logistics to make it happen is a work in progress.”
“I will advise once we have better fidelity on timing,” he added.
Last September, he America Legion announced that the only impediment to the return of the controversial Balangiga Bells had finally been shelved.
The American Legion, a worldwide organization of US war veterans in whose honor the controversial Balangiga Bells have been held at the air base, had approved in its national convention at its Minneapolis, Minnesota headquarters a resolution that would pave the way for the return of the bells.
Guy Hilbero, executive officer of the 26th US Cavalry of the Philippine Scouts Memorial Regiment in this former US air force, said that during the convention held last Aug. 26 to 28, the American Legion rescinded “a prior resolution from the Wyoming department previously passed at the 2016 convention which called for keeping the bells in Wyoming.”
It was the 2016 resolution of the Wyoming Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) that prevented the US government from returning the historic bells taken by the Americans from a church in Balangiga, Eastern Samar in 1901 during the Philippine-American War.
