A century and 17 years after they were taken by American soldiers as war booty, the Balangiga bells are finally back home. With Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Joseph Felter, Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Ambassador Sung Kim and INDOPACOM Commander Admiral Philip Davidson. The US C-130 plane named Spirit of MacArthur transported the bells from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. “The bells’ return reflects the strong bond and mutual respect between our nations and our peoples…It heralds our bright future as friends, partners and allies,” he said. One of the bells is carefully lifted from the crate in preparation for a handover ceremony at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.

Source: Philippine Star December 16, 2018 05:54 UTC