FILE PHOTO: The Bells of Balangiga are seen near the parade field of F.E. Warren Air Force Base, near Cheyenne, Wyoming, November 21, 2013 in this handout provided by the U.S. Air Force, November 22, 2013. REUTERS/R.J. Oriez/U.S. Air Force/Handout via Reuters
F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday formally returned church bells to the Philippines that were taken as war trophies over a century ago following gruesome clashes, seeking to close a contentious chapter in the two allies' shared history.
The decision to return the "Bells of Balangiga" to the Philippines ends a decades-long quest by Manila, including by President Rodrigo Duterte, and is expected to bolster U.S.-Philippines' relations.
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