A C-130 transport plane landed in Manila on Tuesday morning carrying three bells taken from the Philippines a century ago during its war with America, ending a long-standing dispute between the two allies.
A C-130 transport plane landed in Manila Tuesday morning carrying three bells taken from the Philippines a century ago during its war with America, ending a long-standing dispute between the two allies.
U. S. Ambassador Sung Kim turned over the “Balangiga Bells” to the Philippine government, which has called for their return for decades over the objections of some U. S. veterans.
“The history of these bells spans the entire relationship between the United States and the Philippines,” Kim said at a ceremony at Manila’s Villamor Air Base. “Their return underscores the enduring friendship, partnership and alliance between our countries.”
The Air Force conducted a special airlift mission to bring one of the bells from Korea to Japan, where it met its two sister bells before flying to Manila.
The Philippine government will now take the three bells to their original parish in the village of Balangiga, in the center of the Phillippine archipelago, for a ceremony on Saturday. They will be hung in a Catholic church rebuilt by villagers and U. S. sailors after a super typhoon in 2013.
Local religious leaders said they were grateful they were being returned in time to ring for Christmas services.
