Poe: Historic bells should stay in Balangiga town, but Church could ‘share’ it on tours

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Grace Poe on Friday said the historic Balangiga bells should remain in Balangiga, Eastern Samar where it originated but “maybe in the near future” the Catholic Church could “share” on tours.

Poe was reacting to the proposal of her colleague, Senate Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri to transfer one of the bells to the National Museum for the “appreciation and education of the general public.”

READ: Prelates: Transfer of Balangiga bells to Nat’l Museum is ‘disrespectful mangling of history’

“Nakita ko yung punto ni Senator Migs (Zubiri) kasi hindi naman lahat makakapunta para makita doon sa Balangiga,” Poe told reporters in an interview.

“Pero importante naman, siguro nananabik pa rin yung mga tao doon ( Balangiga, Eastern Samar) so siguro sila muna,” she added.

The Balangiga bells will be handed over at the Parish Church of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr, in Balangiga town, Eastern Samar on Saturday.

The bishop and clergy of the Diocese of Borongan opposed Zubiri’s move to transfer one of the bells, saying such effort is a “disrespectful mangling of history.”

The Diocese of Borongan argued that the bells are sacred artifacts that call the faithful to the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist therefore the bells belong in the Church and not in a museum.

Poe said that “maybe in the near future” the Church could “lend” the bells for tours since Christianity and Catholicism is about “sharing.”

“Maybe in the near future kasi Christianity is about sharing also, Catholicism is about sharing, baka pwede nila ipahiram on tour,” the senator said.

“Katulad din ng mga imahe ng mga deboto. Iniikot lang yan tapos ibabalik din,” she added.

The Balangiga bells were returned to the Philippines last Dec. 11, about 117 years after they were taken by American soldiers as war trophies during the Philippine-American War.

The Balangiga bells tolled on the morning of September 28, 1901 to signal the start of a surprise attack by dozens of town villagers against American soldiers. /muf