President Rodrigo Duterte's remarks disowning credit for the successful return of the Balangiga Bells to the country showed his humility, Malaca?ang said on Friday.

Duterte is set to formally turnover the Balangiga Bells to Balangiga town in Eastern Samar on Saturday after they arrived in the country this week from the United States. The bells were flown ahead to Eastern Samar Friday ahead of the turnover.

"The recent remarks of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte disowning credit for the successful return of the Balangiga Bells to the country after more than a century outside of Philippine soil highlights the style of the Chief Executive: action-oriented and no-frill public service marked by humility," Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

In a speech in Las Pi?as on Thursday, Duterte said that the Filipino people should be credited for the return of the bells and not any government official, including him.

Panelo said the President's statement also showed his sincerity in upholding sovereignty through the use of diplomacy as a leverage to achieve what the country rightly and truly deserves.

"It bears stressing that all of PRRD's (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte) actions are based on the constitutional command addressed to him, to serve and to protect the people. Nothing more, nothing less," he said.

But he noted that the fact remains many have tried and "it was the President’s call that triggered the series of meetings that finally resulted in, to the coming home of Balangiga bells."

"But this is not per se, that the attempts were all futile. To us, it’s just like a ladder. It was steps that finally reached the pedestal," he added. Celerina Monte/DMS