Balangiga Massacre (1901)

[Ayoshi]

From: patnubay.org

The Balangiga massacre was an incident in 1901 in the town of the same name during the Philippine-American War. It initially referred to the killing of about 48 members of the US 9th Infantry by the townspeople allegedly augmented by guerrillas in the town of Balangiga on Samar island during an attack on September 28 of that year. In the 1960s Filipino nationalists applied it to the retaliatory measures taken on the island. This incident was described as the United States Army’s worst defeat since the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. Filipinos regard the attack as one of their bravest acts in the war.


Some soldiers of Company C,  9th U.S. Infantry ("Manchus") Regiment, in Balangiga in August 1901. Valeriano Abanador, the native chief of police who would lead the attack on the Balangiga garrison seven weeks later, is standing with arms folded across his chest (sixth from right). Photo taken from filipinoamericanwar.com

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The Balangiga Bells

The Balangiga bells are three church bells taken by the United States Army from the town church of Balangiga, Eastern Samar in the Philippines as war booty after reprisals following the Balangiga incident in 1901 during the Philippine-American War.

Photos are taken from filipinoamericanwar.com


St. Anthony Church: the present structure dates from 1927. The original church was burned down by the Americans on September 29, 1901
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This 1895 Balangiga bell ---the smallest of the three Balangiga church bells---was turned over to the headquarters of the 9th U.S. Infantry Regiment in Calbayog, Samar, around April 1902. This relic is on permanent display at the museum of the 9th U.S. Infantry, stationed in Camp Hovey, Tongduchon, South Korea. It is now considered by most Filipino historians as the one that was rung during the Balangiga attack.
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The two bigger Balangiga bells:  These were brought to the U.S. by returning 11th Infantry soldiers to their home station at the former Fort D.A. Russell, now the F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Both are displayed at the Balangiga Memorial in its Trophy Park.
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Photo taken from CNN Philippines

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Full Story: filipinoamericanwar

[adroth]

From: https://www.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/62485586!.pdf

FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
First Regular Session
SENATE
P.S. Res. No. 177

INTRODUCED BY HON. MANNY VILLAR

RESOLUTION EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE FOR THE RETURN TO THE PHILIPPINES OF THE BALANGIGA BELLS WHICH WERE TAKEN BY THE US TROOPS FROM THE TOWN OF BALANGIGA, PROVINCE OF SAMAR IN 1901

WHEREAS, the bells of Balangiga are church bells which used to be housed at the church in the coastal town of Balangiga, Province of Samar.

WHEREAS, the church bells of Balangiga had very special significance to a town of strong Catholic traditions as its ringing served as a call for the people to come to church to pray and worship God. However, the ringing of the bells of Balangiga in the early morning of 28 September 1901 took on a different import as it served to signal the people of Balangiga to fight for their freedom, thus the surprise attack against American soldiers by the Waray revolutionaries:

WHEREAS, on the day of the attack, Waray men dressed as pious women carrying little coffins, purportedly of children who had died of cholera, and armed with bolos, staged an attack against American soldiers belonging to the Charlie Company of the US Infantry Regiment:

WHEREAS, the subsequent retaliation by American troops resulted in the killing of thousands of Filipinos in Samar, the majority of whom were civilians. The heavy handed reprisal earned a court-martial for Gen. Jake Smith, who had ordered the killing of everyone ten (IO) years old and over:

WHEREAS, after the fall of Balangiga to US troops, the latter took the bells of the Catholic church back to their home base at Fort Russell. The soldiers considered the bells as "war booty" and are displayed in a brick museum, where they remain to this day with a plaque that says the bells signaled the attack:

WHEREAS, the bells of Balangiga symbolizes an unforgettable memory to the Filipino people as it signifies courage to fight for freedom:

WHEREAS, legally, the Filipinos, more specifically the Diocese of Borongan, of which Balangiga is a parish, has a rightful stake to claim for the return of the Balangiga bells because the same is a property of the church:

NOW, THERFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES, to express its sense for the return of the Balangiga bells to the Philippines which were taken by the US Troops from the town of Balangiga, Province of Samar on 1901,

Adopted.

Senator Manny Villar

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US veterans seek McCain help to return Balangiga bells to Philippines
Christian V. Esguerra, ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jul 31 2017 07:07 AM

http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/30/17/us-veterans-seek-mccain-help-to-return-balangiga-bells-to-philippines

ANGELES CITY - US war veterans are working quietly to return church bells taken by American soldiers from a Philippine town over a century ago, believing it is the "right thing to do."

President Rodrigo Duterte, in his annual address to Congress last week, demanded the return of the Balangiga bells, which American soldiers took as war spoils after killing thousands in a Samar town of the same name in 1901.

Among those working to return the church bells, retired Air Force pilot Spike Nasmyth, sought the help of Republican Sen. John McCain, on July 25, the day after Duterte's State of the Nation Address.

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[teejay]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8BEE0U-JtE

Bells of Balangiga

[Ayoshi]

US pledges to return Philippine church bells but unsure when | Washington Post - September 5

Ambassador Sung Kim said the two governments have discussed the return of the Balangiga bells, named for the Philippine village from which they were taken in the early 1900s. He said in response to questions from reporters that the U.S. is “deeply committed that the bells are returned to the Filipino people,” but that he could not specify when that would happen.

Filipinos revere the Balangiga bells as symbols of their long struggle for independence. The bells gave the signal for insurgents to attack American soldiers who were occupying Balangiga after the U.S. took possession of the Philippines following the Spanish-American War.

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Kim said there was “an ongoing discussion within the U.S. government and the Philippine government to try and facilitate the return of these bells as quickly as possible,” but added there were some issues that needed to be solved in the U.S.

[adroth]

Balangiga bells to be returned December
By: Edgar Allan M. Sembrano
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 05:05 AM October 29, 2018

The bells of Balangiga, Eastern Samar, are set to be returned to the country before the end of year after more than a century of being in the United States as war booties from the Philippine-American War at the turn of the 20th century.

The three bells—two in the Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming and one in a US military facility in South Korea
—were taken from Balangiga in 1901 as war trophies.

They have been subjects of a campaign for repatriation for more than 20 years.

Two Americans and a Philippine historian have campaigned for the repatriation of the bells—retired US Navy officer Dennis Wright, Rear Adm. Dan McKinnon and Rolando Borrinaga.

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The historian, a member of the National Committee on Historical Research of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, explained that the US Congress had 90 days to concur and if there was no opposition, the repatriation would push through.

Asked about the certainty of the return, Borrinaga said it was “definite” the bells would be repatriated “on or before Christmas.”

Borrinaga said the bells would be returned to the church of Balangiga.

He added a “Philippine-American War Memorial Plaza” would be constructed in Balangiga. —CONTRIBUTED

Read more: https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/311487/balangiga-bells-to-be-returned-december/#ixzz5VNoiNGqy
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

[adroth]

Balangiga Bells back in Philippines after 117 years
ABS-CBN News
Posted at Dec 11 2018 10:37 AM | Updated as of Dec 11 2018 01:39 PM

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/11/18/balangiga-bells-back-in-philippines-after-117-years

MANILA - Three church bells taken by American soldiers as war booty from Balangiga town, Eastern Samar in 1901, arrived in the Philippines on Tuesday.

The Balangiga Bells, seen by historians as a symbol of Filipino resistance to foreign invaders, were airlifted to the Philippine Air Force headquarters in Villamor Airbase.

They will be returned to Balangiga town later this week.

Balangiga town prepares to receive centuries-old bells from US

"It has been a very long road home. Many Filipinos and Americans worked tirelessly for decades to make today possible. I’m so glad many of them are here today," US Ambassador Sung Kim said during the handover ceremony at the airbase.

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[girder]

I had completely missed this story until today...

Home after a century: The Balangiga Bells’ journey to the Philippines

The Balangiga Church Bells taken by American forces during the Philippine-American War are back the Philippines, much to the relief of Filipinos who long sought for their return.

A US military plane carrying the bells taken as war booty from Balangiga, Samar in 1901 touched down at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Tuesday morning.

United States Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim in a statement said that returning that bells was the right thing to do, on account of the Philippines and US’ alliance that followed the war.

“This decision to return the bells is consistent with our values and overwhelmingly viewed as the right thing to do,” he wrote.

US Defense Secretary James Matthis at the send-off ceremony for the bells, which were kept in Wyoming, in November 2018 said that the move could repair ties between the Philippines and US.

“In returning the Bells of Balangiga to our ally and our friend—the Philippines—we pick up our generation’s responsibility to deepen the respect between our peoples,” he said.

   
Balangiga Bells on display for public viewing at PAF museum

MANILA The newly-returned Balangiga Bells will be on display and public viewing at the Philippine Air Force (PAF) Aerospace Museum at Villamor Air Base, Sales Road, Pasay City until Thursday.

In a statement Wednesday, Defense spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said that entry is at Gate 4 of the military facility.

"Visitors are advised to observe the dress code, which prohibits the wearing of sandos and slippers, and to refrain from touching the displays, using flash photography, capturing videos, or bringing food and drinks, when they enter the museum. Foreigners are required to present identification cards or their passports," he added.

Duterte to lead Balangiga bells turnover rites in Eastern Samar

IT'S final. President Rodrigo Duterte is attending the turnover ceremony for the return of three churchs bells to Balangiga, Eastern Samar on Saturday, December 15.

Duterte decided to show up hours after the Palace announced that he will skip the ceremony anew. But he changed his mind following "persistent requests" for his attendance, Malacañang said Thursday, December 13.

"Due to the persistent requests from the people of Eastern Samar who look forward to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s personally bringing the Balingiga bells to the town of Balingiga, the President has decided to attend the turnover ceremony of the Balangiga bells to the local officials on Saturday, December 15," Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said.

On December 11, Duterte was absent during the historic hand-over of the church bells by the United States (US) to the Philippines, as he intended to fly to Samar to lead the turnover rites of bells to Eastern Samar officials.

On late Wednesday night, December 12, Panelo announced that Duterte would not grace the turnover rites in Balangiga because of "pressing matters of governance that require his utmost and immediate attention prevent him from personally bringing the bells to Balangiga on this date."

In a statement issued early Thursday morning, December 13, though, Panelo said the President had made "changes" in his schedule of activities to join the Filipinos in welcoming the return of the three Balangiga bells.

Thankfully I managed to drop by the museum on the last day of the display:

[horge]

the turnover rites of bells to Eastern Samar officials.

I hope they ultimately mean Eastern Samar Church officials, or PH.gov is facilitating a second theft of the bells.

[adroth]

I hope they ultimately mean Eastern Samar Church officials, or PH.gov is facilitating a second theft of the bells.

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Photos c/o PAF PIO