Philippines Duterte Praises 'Generous' Americans For Returning Church Bells

The Philippines and the United States have reached a rare meeting of the minds: Both are enthralled that church bells seized by the U.S. have been returned to the Philippines after 117 years.

President Rodrigo Duterte, unaccustomed to lauding the U.S., took pains Saturday to call the repatriation of the iconic artifacts "a generous act" by the Americans. For their part, U.S. officials stopped short of an apology, but have acknowledged that it was "time to do the right thing," in the words of John Law, the deputy chief of mission for the U.S. embassy in the Philippines.