(Eagle News) — After directing his anger many times at the country, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday he would “rather be friendly” with the United States now.
Speaking during the 116th Balangiga Encounter Day in Eastern Samar, he said he was “under advice” by the Department of Foreign Affairs that he should “temper (his) language and avoid cursing,” something which he said he was “prone to do if (he gets) emotional.”
Besides, Duterte said that “aside from..episodes of..sad incidents, overall, I think the Americans also redeemed themselves a lot.”
He said that while the Americans were not the Philippines’ “saviors,” they are our allies and they helped us.”
He said the US “partly helped” the Philippines during World War II, noting that its abuses were “water under the bridge.”
“Even today, they provide crucial equipment to our soldiers in Marawi to fight the terrorists,” he said.
Balangiga bells
In the same speech, Duterte asked the US Congress to give President Donald Trump the authority to return the Balangiga bells that were taken from the country over 100 years ago.
The bells were taken as war booty by American soldiers, who killed Filipino males aged 10 and above in Samar after being defeated by Filipino soldiers in September, during the Philippine-American war.