Rody may visit US with return of Balangiga bells

Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez is currently in Manila trying to convince President Duterte to visit Washington, D.C. to reciprocate the gesture of the United States in returning the historic Balangiga bells to the Philippines.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that Romualdez is conferring with the President about the visit which may take place in 2019.

“It’s being discussed. Ambassador Romualdez is here trying to convince the President to go there next year,” Lorenzana told reporters at the sidelines of the “Pilipinas Conference 2018” forum in Makati City over the weekend.

Both Romualdez and Lorenzana will be joining the President during the formal turnover of the three bells at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Tuesday.

The Balangiga bells were taken from the church of Balangiga, Eastern Samar by American soldiers as war booty during the Philippine-American war in 1901.

With the return of the three bells, Romualdez said it is now appropriate for Duterte to return the US gesture.

“I think the President realizes that this is a very good gesture on the part of the US and I’m sure that he will take that into account that going to the US this time would be appropriate,” Romualdez said in a television interview last week.

Earlier, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. indicated in one of his tweets that President Duterte would only embark on the US trip when the Balangiga bells are returned to the country.

While Romualdez did not provide any specific date on the proposed visit, he noted that the President has been vocal about his reluctance on taking long-haul flights and the cold season.

A flight from Manila to the US capital will take about 21 hours.