(Photo courtesy: ‘History of the Ninth US Infantry, 1799-1909’ by Fred R. Brown)
The 24-year battle to bring home the Balangiga bells may end well as the American embassy in Manila confirmed its intention to return them to the Philippines.
The embassy’s press attaché said that US Defense Secretary James Mattis has notified the US Congress that although there is no clear date yet, they intend to return the bells to the Catholic Church.
Under the US National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), legislators must first settle whether the bells can be returned or not, reported Philstar.
The bells were taken from Eastern Samar in 1901 when the Americans soldiers set Balangiga town on fire.
Former Fidel Ramos was the first president who requested for the return of the bells in 1994. The last ringing of the bells signaled an attack by Filipino guerillas on US troops, killing 48 soldiers including their commander.
Currently, the bells are housed in the American Air Force base in Wyoming
