Bacon, Carbajal Visit Philippines to Strengthen U.S.-Philippines Alliance, Honor Shared History

Bacon, Carbajal Visit Philippines to Strengthen U.S.-Philippines Alliance, Honor Shared History

Washington, D.C. - Representatives Don Bacon (NE-02) and Salud Carbajal (CA-24), members of the House Armed Services Committee, recently participated in a bipartisan Congressional Delegation visit to the Philippines focused on strengthening U.S.-Philippines defense cooperation, improving deterrence and interoperability in the South China Sea and expanding cyber capabilities.

During the visit, Reps. Bacon and Carbajal met with Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo S.L. Oban Jr., Department of National Defense Undersecretary for Information Systems and Cybersecurity Fabian Pedregosa and U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Bridgette Walker. They also met with rotational U.S. servicemembers supporting forward presence and deterrence in the region, visited key readiness facilities at Subic Bay and saw U.S. Navy presence in and near the South China Sea.

Discussions with Philippine leaders focused on the People's Republic of China's aggressive military actions in the South China Sea, including around the Spratly Islands, as well as Philippine defense modernization, cybersecurity and strengthening the longstanding alliance between the two countries.

"The Philippines is a vital ally, and our visit reinforced how important this partnership is to our national security," said Rep. Bacon. "The PRC's aggressive military actions in the South China Sea are forcing the Philippines to increase its military capabilities, and our soldiers, Marines and sailors are doing exceptional work providing deterrence, reassuring our allies and improving interoperability. I was also grateful to finally see the Balangiga Bells in Balangiga. Their return was intended to help complete reconciliation and strengthen trust between our countries, and eight years later, it is working."

"As the People's Republic of China escalates its aggressive posture in the South China Sea, strengthening key U.S. alliances across the Indo-Pacific is essential to regional security," said Rep. Carbajal. "I welcomed the opportunity to meet with Filipino leaders to advance our shared priorities and deepen the long-standing defense cooperation between our two nations."

At the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Walker hosted Reps. Bacon and Carbajal for discussions on strengthening deterrence and joint capabilities. The lawmakers also saw the same flagpole that stood at the embassy during World War II, which still bears bullet holes from the war.

The visit also brought Reps. Bacon and Carbajal to the town of Balangiga, where Rep. Bacon saw the three Balangiga Bells eight years after leading legislation that allowed their return to the Philippines. The bells were taken by U.S. forces as war trophies in 1901 and remained in the United States for more than a century.

After then-Bellevue Mayor Rita Sanders and members of the Filipino community in Nebraska raised the issue with Rep. Bacon, he helped advance legislation through the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act allowing the Secretary of Defense to approve their return. The bells were returned to Balangiga in December 2018. During last week's visit, Reps. Bacon and Carbajal met with the mayor, priest and members of the local community.

Rep. Bacon reflected on the significance of their return while in Balangiga, saying it was "a way of trying to provide that reconciliation and strengthen friendship."

Reps. Bacon and Carbajal also paid their respects at the Manila American Cemetery, the largest American military cemetery overseas and the final resting place of more than 17,000 American and allied war dead from World War II.

While at the cemetery, Rep. Bacon located the graves of two Nebraskans, Col Irvin R. Schimmelpfennig, who grew up in Humphrey and was killed during the Battle of Manila in 1945, and Pfc Clemens E. Gabrielson, a Nebraska servicemember who died in 1942. Rep. Bacon also visited the Walls of the Missing, where Lt Col Harold William Bauer is memorialized. Bauer grew up in Alma, Nebraska, became a Marine fighter pilot and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor after being lost near Guadalcanal in 1942. His remains were never recovered.

Photos from the congressional visit are available here. Photo Credit: Office of Congressman Don Bacon.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/axh3fb71jjz27fagnzh2j/AKfQiN2yL1M_yoU0m6o0WWE?rlkey=5s8m9y00s9ylk0q0nt4fqng8b&st=ww3b9srn&dl=0

Additional background on Rep. Bacon's work to return the Balangiga Bells is available in his 2018 release:

https://bacon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=295

Rep. Bacon's 2019 Congressional Record remarks on the history and significance of their return are available here:

https://www.congress.gov/116/crec/2019/04/03/modified/CREC-2019-04-03-pt1-PgE394-3.htm

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