US wants Balangiga bells issue resolved — envoy

The United States is eager to reach a resolution on the Philippines’ demand for the return of three church bells taken as war booty by US soldiers after their massacre of villagers in Balangiga, Samar during the Filipino-American War in 1901.

Ambassador Sung Kim gave the assurance on Thursday on the sidelines of the official turnover at the Villamor Air Base of two Cessna-208B Caravan ISR aircraft donated by the US.

“What I can tell you is that we would like to reach a resolution on all three bells. We know that it’s a matter of great importance to the Filipino people and if at all possible we would like to return all three bells to the Philippines as soon as possible,” Kim told reporters.

In his State of the Nation Address, President Duterte demanded the return of the bells, now displayed in US military bases – two in Cheyenne, Wyoming and one in South Korea.

“We know that these bells are very important to the Philippines, to the Filipino people and we in fact have been working for some time to try to reach a resolution on this issue and we’ll continue that effort,” Kim said.

“President Duterte made very clear in the State of the Nation Address that he also cares deeply about this issue,” he added.

When asked about the obstacle to the immediate return of the bells, Kim said the bells mean a lot to Filipinos and to US war veterans.

“So we just want to work with the local officials involved in Wyoming, with our military and other stakeholders to reach a solution that is satisfactory to all parties, but there is no question that we want to reach a resolution,” Kim said.

Being part of the country’s history, the bells are very important to Filipinos and thus should be returned, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, for his part, said.

He also revealed one of the artifacts taken by the Americans was an English-made cannon dated 1557, now on display in a military base in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

He said Filipinos are asking for the return of the Bells of Balangiga not for their commercial value, but for their cultural significance. Of ecclesiastical origin, the bells are among objects that cannot be taken as spoils of war.