The
much-awaited homecoming of the three Balangiga church bells signify United
States’ resolve to reset relations with its former colony and longtime ally.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades against the West and efforts to
diminish the country’s over reliance on America by expanding ties with other
major powers, including U.S. rivals China and Russia, unsettled bilateral
relations since 2016. The U.S. obviously wants to check Philippines’ increasing
tilt towards Beijing and the bells’ repatriation, albeit symbolic and long
overdue, is a clear and solid step towards this. Nonetheless, while such a
hallmark move is welcome, it may have marginal effect in countering the core of
burgeoning Philippines-China ties which remain firmly grounded on economic
convergence. Instead, the bells’ return will have greater utility as a platform
to restore high-level political ties and cement U.S. position as Manila’s
pre-eminent security partner, a position being challenged by Beijing’s foray
into security goods provision.
Duterte asked for
the bells’ return in high profile fashion in his 2017 State of the Nation
Address. Philippine ambassador to the U.S. Jose Manuel Romualdez also said that
Duterte requested the same from U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis back in
October 2017 as the retired marine corps general attended the ASEAN Defense
Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM+) in the former U.S. airbase of Clark.
Furthermore, as the strategic Southeast Asian maritime country shops for arms
for its military modernization, even considering purchasing from Russia,
Duterte said that any arms
procurement from U.S. will be premised upon the bells’ return. Foreign
Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. mentioned
that Duterte will never visit the U.S. until the bells are returned. Hence,
with the precondition satisfied, there is an expectation that Duterte will soon
accept President Trump’s invitation to visit Washington. More importantly, if
the bells’ homecoming can be considered a bellwether for the future of
bilateral relations in a fast changing geopolitical landscape, there is cause
for optimism.
Past Philippine
leaders, including West Point graduate Fidel Ramos and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,
a former classmate of Bill Clinton at Georgetown University lobbied for
the bells’ repatriation. But their efforts were in vain. Ironically, it took an
uncouth former mayor who long harbored misgivings about the U.S. to trigger the
bells’ eventual comeback. But the unassuming Duterte refrainedfrom claiming
recognition. Instead, he accorded what he described as an act that restored
Filipino dignity to the “generous
act of the Americans”, adding that credit goes to the people of both
countries. More than a century after being snatched, the bells returned in time
for Christmas to call the faithful in the Eastern Samar town. For this historic
event which will surely be remembered as a legacy of the Duterte
administration, the U.S. not only earned the goodwill of the Filipino people;
it also restarted bilateral relations on an elevated plane.
When Duterte set
the bells’ repatriation as the floor for the restoration of high-level
political ties, both sides’ diplomatic and security establishment set out to
work. This contributed to a change in the President’s attitude towards a
possible state visit. In July 2017, in response to threats from some U.S.
solons who claimed they will block his visit, the former Davao mayor said he
will never visit “lousy”
America. A year later, he mellowed and remarked that such a visit is just a
matter of scheduling.
The specter of
protests from rights groups and some members of U.S. Congress opposed to his
signature drug war continue to loom large during a possible Duterte visit.
Sensitivity to criticisms about his war against drugs was actually one of the
major reasons why the firebrand leader eschewed the invitation in the first
place. But the bells’ return removed the impediment for such a visit. Besides,
Duterte will not be the first controversial Southeast Asian leader to enter the
White House. President Donald Trump previously hosted scandal-hit former
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, Thai junta leader Prime Minister Prayuth
Chan-o-cha and undemocratic Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
Notwithstanding the
efforts of veterans groups, the Catholic Church, and civil society, the
official top level push was pivotal in putting to rest one of the long-running
irritants in the two countries’ 72-year relations. U.S. officials, notably
Secretary Mattis and U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim, prevailed
over those who opposed the bells’ rightful return. Former Philippine defense
attache to U.S. and current Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana also worked hard
for the bells’ repatriation and maintenance of longstanding security ties.
While Duterte already had his third Foreign Affairs Secretary amidst frequent
Cabinet revamps midway into his term, Lorenzana remained a steady figure in the
defense establishment. This suggests Duterte’s desire to keep the alliance
despite his rhetorical bluster. With the echoes of the symbolic ringing of one
Balangiga bell tattooed on his mind, the intensity of verbal tirades
against the US are also likely to subside.
A few days before
Christmas, former Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations and
currently Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. met his American
counterpart, State Secretary Mike Pompeo in Washington. The two chief diplomats
discussed cooperation in addressing terrorism and regional flashpoints, notably
the Korean Peninsula and the South China Sea. Locsin also conveyed Duterte’s
appreciation for the bells’ return.
Recent calls for
the review of the 1951 Philippines-United States Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT)
may be seen as a further disruption in bilateral relations. However, that
disruption may turn out well for both sides if provisions of the treaty, which
serves as the bedrock of the two countries’ security ties, will be evaluated to
keep up with the changing times. As the mother document for subsequent
bilateral security arrangements, notably the 1999 Visiting Forces Agreement and
the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, the review will have far
reaching implications for the security partnership. There is also expectation
that a strengthened treaty will enhance the country’s deterrence and commit the
U.S. more to evolving Philippine security requirements. Hence, the return of
the bells may have just paved the way for a conducive climate to update the
anchor of one of the world’s most enduring alliances.
This article was
published at
APPFI
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