Palace defends Duterte’s call for US to return Balangiga bells

July 26, 2017

Malacanang defended on Wednesday the call of President Rodrigo Duterte for the United States to return the Balangiga bells during his second State of the Nation Address while silent on the territorial dispute with China. In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said the US and China issues are two different things. "The two situations are different. The other one is really to correct a social injustice, the other one is a negotiating --- the other one is a present negotiations on certain particular matters," he said. During his SONA last Monday, Duterte recalled what happened in 1901 in Samar between Philippine-American War when the latter took the Balangiga bells. Asked if it was Duterte's diversionary tactic to forget the South China Sea dispute, Abella said, "I wouldn’t say that. I believe that this is a very significant and very symbolic act in order to respect --- in order to highlight the fact that we do protect our patrimony." While Duterte has been warm with China despite the territorial dispute, he has said that he would never go to US during his term. Celerina Monte/DMS