By Genalyn Kabiling President Duterte has decided to lead the handover of the Balangiga bells in the Eastern Samar town on December 15 instead of attending the ceremony at a military base in Pasay City on Tuesday. Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo
(OPS / MANILA BULLETIN) "The President, upon the recommendation of Secretary of National Defense Delfin N. Lorenzana, will no longer be attending the handover of the Balangiga bells scheduled on Tuesday in Villamor Air Base,” Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said. "The President will instead be in Samar on December 15, Saturday, to turn over the bells to Balangiga officials,” he added. The President was originally scheduled to welcome the return of the historic bells by the United States military on Tuesday. The Palace earlier said it was enthusiastically waiting for the arrival of the Church bells, which were taken as war trophy in Balangiga, Eastern Samar by American troops in 1901. "We consider the occasion as an affirmation of our strong and enduring relations with our long-standing ally, the United States, as we thank them for this gesture that would formally put a closure to a tragic and contentious episode in both our countries' history," Panelo said. In his second State of the Nation Address in July, the President asked anew the United States to return bells taken by American soldiers more than a hundred years ago. He said the church bells belong to Filipinos and form part of national heritage. Duterte previously declared that he could never have "good rapport" with the United States unless it gives back the Balangiga bells.