This photo, taken in May 2001, shows the two bells of Balangiga at F.E. Warren Air Force Base outside Cheyenne, Wyoming, that signaled an attack by Filipino insurgents on occupying American troops in 1901. (AP file photo)
Two senators on Tuesday hailed the impending return of the Balangiga bells, which American soldiers took away in 1901 as trophies during the Philippine-American War.
READ: Balangiga bells to be in PH by late December
“It is about time,” Senate President Vicente Sotto III told reporters. “I know for a fact na talagang planong ibalik sa atin yun, parang sign of goodwill. As I said, it’s about time.”
[I know for a fact that there was a plan to return it to us, as a sign of goodwill. As I said, it’s about time.]
Meanwhile, Senator Ralph Recto said that the return of the Balangiga bells would restore “a severed historical connection between a proud people and their brave forebears.”
“After more than a century, the descendants will now be able to hear the bells which summoned their ancestors to prayers, to safety, to work, and to the defense of their land,” he added.
According to Recto, bells are more than just church artifacts, as it will also be a reminder of courage “which when rang will give out the sound of freedom.”
“This is a joyous occasion for us all,” he said.
Earlier, Dr. Rolando Borrinaga of the Committee on the Historical Research of National Commission for Culture and the Arts announced that the return of the bells was tentatively scheduled for by late December.
The Balangiga bells will be returned to its home church in Eastern Samar, he added. /atm