Duterte to attend Balangiga bells turnover in Eastern Samar, after all

The Balangiga bells on display at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay upon their arrival in the country on Tuesday, Dec. 11./Mar Gabriel/Eagle News Service/

(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte will attend the official turnover of the Balangiga bells in Eastern Samar on Saturday, after all.

This was, according to Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, after the President himself “made changes in his schedule” due to the “persistent requests from the people of Eastern Samar who look forward” to him personally bringing the bells to  Balangiga.

Earlier, Panelo said “pressing matters of governance” would keep Duterte from attending the official turnover in the town, which was to take place four days after they arrived at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay.

The President was also unable to attend the turnover ceremonies of the bells in the airbase, with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana attending in his stead.

The three bells were taken by American soldiers in 1901, during the FIlipino-American War, as war booty.

Two of them had been housed in a military airbase in Wyoming, the United States, while another was in a military facility in South Korea before they were transported to the Philippines.