Philippine Asian News Today Vol 20 No 21 | Page 31

November 1 - 15, 2018
PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY
SPORTS
31
Balangiga bells soon to be home for Christmas
The historic Balangiga bells,
which were seized by American soldiers
from a church in Samar at the height
of the Filipino-American war, are
finally returning to the Philippines.
US Embassy Spokesperson Molly
Koscina said, “While no specific date
has been identified for the return of
the bells, the Department of Defense
is committed to a timely resolution
in accordance with U.S. laws and
policy.”
According to historians, one of
the bells is believed to have signaled
the attack the Filipinos launched
against American troops stationed in
Balangiga town in Samar province on
Sept. 28, 1901. The attack killed 48
American soldiers and was reportedly
in retaliation for oppressive treatment
the Filipinos received from the
American troops.
The American soldiers retaliated,
destroying the town and killing
thousands of Filipino soldiers and
locals in what is now known as the
Balangiga Massacre.
The American soldiers seized all
three bells from the Balangiga Church
and a 1557 cannon as war booty.
In his second State of the Nation
Address called on the US to return the
Balangiga bells.
“Give us back those Balangiga
bells. They are ours. They belong to
the Philippines. They are part of our
national heritage,” Duterte said in his
speech.
Although some US officials
opposed plans to return the bells,
Koscina said the US Department of
Defense notified Congress in August
that it intends to repatriate the bells.
“The decision follows a year-
long consultative process with
associated veterans’ organizations
and government officials to ensure
appropriate steps are taken to preserve
the history of the veterans associated
with the bells,” she said.
Meanwhile, a Filipino military
professor involved in the impending
return of the bells said a change in
“approach” about the significance of
the Balangiga bells was the key to the
entire process.
Retired Consul General and
Philippine Military Academy professor
Sonny Busa told ANC’s Dateline
Philippines that his group in the US
had to clarify “misconceptions” that
the return of the bells does not equate
to “dishonoring the 44 Americans who
died in the Battle of Balangiga.”
“When we cast the message that
these bells belong to the people, to
call the people to church, then we
were able to sway some minds that
this is not a military symbol but a
symbol of peace,” Busa said.
“It worked now because the
approach was not one of blame,
but just one of shared interest, a
commonality,” he added.
Busa said it had also become
easier to get the US government’s
nod on the proposal to return the
bells after Filipino negotiators earned
the support of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the US.
And while Duterte pressed for the
return of the bells in his second year
of office, Busa said that Duterte was
not the only Philippine president who
attempted to repatriate the bells.
“I disagree with the observations
that President Duterte is the only one
that brought this up,” Busa said.
“President Ramos in 1996
made a big attempt to bring it back,
every Philippine president since then
has tried to get it but it just fell on
deaf ears because of the barriers to
understanding,” he said. (MS)
SINGAPORE–-President Duterte
told his fellow Southeast Asian leaders
that the Philippines is ready to do its
part in realizing a more peaceful,
stable, and secure region.
Duterte made the statement during
the working dinner with the nine other
leaders of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Suntec City,
here Tuesday evening.
“The Philippines is prepared to
do its part. In our role as Country
Coordinator
of
ASEAN-China
Dialogue Relations until 2021, we are
committed to work with all concerned
parties in the substantive negotiations
and early conclusion of an effective
Code of Conduct,” he said.
Duterte then also reaffirmed the
Philippines commitment to the full
and effective implementation of the
Declaration on the Conduct of Parties
in the South China Sea.
“This includes the peaceful
settlement of disputes, the exercise
of self-restraint, and the freedom of navigation and overflight in accordance
with international law, especially the
1982 UN Convention on the Law of
the Sea,” he said.
Meanwhile, Duterte also said that
the Philippines welcomes the positive
developments in recent months in the
Korean Peninsula.
“We urge concerned parties
to continue working towards the
realization of lasting peace and
stability, and reiterate our support
for the complete, verifiable, and
irreversible denuclearization of the
Peninsula,” he said.
Duterte also expressed the
Philippines’ support for ASEAN’s role
in providing humanitarian assistance
to all affected communities in the
Rakhine State.
“We must together address the
root causes and create a conducive
environment for affected communities
to rebuild their lives,” he said. (A.C.
Geducos, mb.com)
Duterte: PH remains
‘The Good Son,’ ‘Seven
Sundays’ honored at 40th committed to peaceful ASEAN
Catholic Mass Media Awards
“The Good Son,” a powerful drama
that tackled a range of issues from infi-
delity to mental illness was honored at
the 40th Catholic Mass Media Awards
(CMMA) held Wednesday night.
It was recognized as the Best Dra-
ma Series (tied with GMA-7’s “Wagas”)
alongside other ABS-CBN shows
such as “ASAP” and “I Can See Your
Voice” --both named Best Entertain-
ment Program.
Star Cinema’s “Seven Sundays,”
which starred Aga Muhlach, Ding-
dong Dantes, Cristine Reyes, and En-
rique Gil, was honored as the Student
Choice’s Best Film.
Below is the list of ABS-CBN shows
which won awards:
Best Film (Student’s Choice): Sev-
en Sundays
Best Entertainment Program:
ASAP, I Can See Your Voice
Best TV Special: DZMM’s Sa Lan-
das ni Jesus: Maglakbay, Magnilay
Best Drama Series: The Good Son
(Tied with GMA-7’s Wagas)
Best Public Service Program: Mis-
sion Possible
Best Music Video: “Ito ang Aming
Pangarap” by KZ Tandingan, Bugoy
Drilon, Ebe Dancel, and Gloc 9 (Star
Music)
Best Secular Album: Regine Velas-
quez’s R3.0 (Viva Records)
Best Secular Song: “Tagpuan” by
Moira dela Torre (Star Music)
Best Inspirational Song: “Di Ka
Pababayaan” by Ogie Alcasid with the
Philharmonic Orchestra (Star Music)
(Tied with “Bago Matulog” by IdeasX-
Machina)
Best News Program: DZMM’s On
the Spot
Best Drama Program: MOR 101.9’s
Dear MOR
Best Radio Ad - Public Service:
MOR 101.9’s MOR Nanay Kakilala
Hall of Fame Awards
Best News Commentary: DZMM’s
Failon Ngayon (2012, 2013, 2015,
2016, and 2017)
(abs-cbnnews)
WWW.PHILIPPINEASIANNEWSTODAY.COM