Bells’ return shows Duterte’s commitment to serve – Bong Go
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2018 16:21:54 +0000
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has proven again that he is serious in his commitment to serve the country and deliver his promises to the people.
This was the statement issued by former special assistant to the President and aspiring senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go in view of the arrival to the country of the famed Balangiga Bells taken by American soldiers in 1901 as war booty.
Go said it was through the sheer political will of President Duterte that the country managed to successfully reclaim the bells of Balangiga from the Americans. Several attempts in the past to reclaim the bells failed.
“This was one of the appeals he made during the last State of the Nation Address in July…What is due to us will be returned to Samar and President Duterte himself will return [the bells] on Saturday,” he said in a chance interview during a visit to fire victims in Tondo.
Go noted that Duterte was not interested in who would get credit for bringing the bells back.
“President Duterte has never fought for credit,” Go said. “The return of the bells of Balangiga is an effort of President Duterte but he doesn’t want to get credit, what’s important is that the bells were returned to the Philippines and the Filipinos,” he added.
Go will accompany President Duterte to Samar where the chief executive will personally oversee the delivery of the bells to their rightful place after 117 years.
“We talked…and we decided to go to Samar to bring the bells,” he said.
The Balangiga Bells were taken by American soldiers in 1901 as trophies to celebrate their victory following the massacre of Balangiga residents during the Philippine-American war, in retaliation for a Filipino guerilla attack.
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