TACLOBAN CITY -- As the country starts today the week-long celebration to commemorate the 50th landing [anniversary] of Allied Forces at Leyte Gulf, the failure of the American government to return the church bells of Balangiga, Eastern Samar remains to be a sore point among concerned citizens here.

If the US does not favor the return of the bells, their presence in the landing rites here "can only be interpreted as hypocritical and insensitive," said Prof. Rolando O. Borrinaga, research coordinator of the UP School of Health Sciences in Palo, Leyte.

The church bells were taken by the American Army on Sept. 29, 1901 from Balangiga after American troops killed hundreds of natives in what is now called the Balangiga massacre.

The massacre was part of reprisal operations done by American soldiers following an attack by native bolo fighters that almost wiped out a company of US Marines some 92 years ago.

Borrinaga stressed that he, like most Samareños and Leyteños, welcome the American and Allied Forces' presence in the grand celebration of the 50^th Leyte Landing anniversary.

"They certainly deserve a grand celebration but it would be more meaningful if they will return the bells," he said.

"If not, the pomp of the celebration will cover up the fact that Americans killed at least a dozen times more natives of Leyte and Samar during the Philippine-American War than those who died during World War II."

Records show that there were several attempts and requests for the return of the bells to the Philippines.

Historian Jesuit Fr. Horacio de la Costa wrote twice to Chip Wards, command historian of the 13^th Air Force in San Francisco, California.

The Franciscan Fathers in Guihulngan, Negros [Oriental], who claimed that one of the bells was of Franciscan origin, tried but failed to get back the bells.

The same efforts were made by the people of Balangiga, by the National Historical Institute, by the Department of Foreign Affairs and by former Senator Rene Saguisag. They all failed.

Just recently, the Senate, led by Sen. Heherson Alvarez, requested the intervention of US President Bill Clinton for the return of the bells which are now displayed at the Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming.

Borrinaga said he received a letter from Fr. David Turnbull, a close friend of US ambassador to the Philippines John Negroponte, to inform him that Negroponte tried to get back the bells several times but the US Air Force was very reluctant to give in.

Borrinaga said he was made to understand that the US Air Force does not want to return the bells because it signifies to them the "worst single defeat of the US Army in the Philippines."

Historical records show that only two out of 74 men of Company C, 9^th Infantry Battallion of the US Army survived the Balangiga encounter.

But Samareños and Leyteños paid dearly when the US Army retaliated. About 500 natives, mostly civilians, were killed for every American who died in Balangiga. Whole towns and villages were also burned by American troops, Borrinaga said.

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