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PETITION FOR THE RETURN OF
BALANGIGA BELLS LAUNCHED
By R SONNY SAMPAYAN (USAF-Ret)
May
27, 2005
BALANGIGA, Eastern Samar
- On May 8, 2005,
the Diocese of Borongan and the Balangiga Parish launched a petition
addressed to the Helsinki Commission, the United States Congress and to
President Bush calling for the return of the Balangiga church bells that
were removed in 1901. On May 17, 2005, the GLOBAL petition was launched on
the Internet.
On March 26, 2005, during
the Wyoming Veterans’ Commission meeting, the commission courageously voted
to return the church bells. One of the Commissioners who strongly opposed
the return of the bells in 1998 made a statement to support the return of
the church bells. In his statement, retired US Air Force Lt Col Joseph
Sestak said, “Returning the bells is the right thing to do in light of the
present international climate and the fact that many nations are now
returning artifacts or booty to the nations from which they came."
Also in attendance of the
meeting was Jean Wall, the daughter of Private Gamlin, a soldier who
survived the ordeal in Balangiga. Jean Wall appealed to those who opposed
the return of the bells and said: “I don’t think my father and his comrades
who survived that horrible ordeal at Balangiga would be proud of any other
decision but to send the bells home and close the book on that chapter of
our history." “I am sure that the majority of Americans today, both
military and civilian, want to act upon those ideals that America was
founded on in a manner that sets an example of compassionate and democratic
society," she added.
Before the December 3, 2004
and March 26, 2005 meeting in Wyoming,
Bishop Medroso has been “troubling heaven by making shameless cries.” Bishop
Medroso added, “For me what happened on September 28, 1901 was not a freak accident,” he said. “It was the work
of history. And history oftentimes has a way of joining two people together,
two countries, and two races. The encounter, the bloody combat, the
senseless loss of lives of our dear ones, the hate, the nightmares, all
these are part of the unfolding of history.
“But so also is the struggle
to understand each other, to let go of hate and animosities, to extend the
open hands for pardon and forgiveness, to embrace one another as brothers
and sisters. “The Bells of Balangiga have stood as the mute yet faithful
witness to the history of the two countries: America and the Philippines;
history of two communities: Wyoming and Balangiga."
The general public is
welcomed to electronically sign the petition and make a special thanks to
the Wyoming Veterans’ Commission, simply go to
http://www.petitiononline.com/bells05/ Comments are welcomed but please
avoid using inflammatory language.
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