Discuss comfort women issue with Japan emperor, group asks Aquino

As the state visit of the Japanese emperor to the Philippines draws near, a group of Filipino comfort women hopes justice will finally be served.

“Justice has not been served.  We were young then and our dignity was taken away from us. We were not able to go to school. All we got was trauma from Japanese soldiers,” said Narcisa Claveria, 85, one of the surviving comfort women.

“This should be addressed. We didn’t want this to happen.”

When Japanese Emperor Akihito and wife Empress Michiko arrive in the country for a state visit next week, Lila Pilipina hopes President Benigno Aquino III will bring up the issue of comfort women or former sex slaves of Japanese soldiers during the World War II.

The visit marks the first time a Japanese head of state will make an official trip to a Southeast Asian country.

“He made a promise that he will address this. This is not a neglect on our part because we keep reminding him,” said Lila Pilipina executive director Rechilda Extremadura.

Since 1992, Lila Pilipina has documented at least 174 Filipino comfort women, 104 of which have since passed away. Only four, however, were able to attend the briefing during Pandesal Forum at Kamuning Bakery in Quezon City on Friday.

‘Without dignity’

“We grew old without dignity. I hope justice will be served so that when we die, we can bring it to our graves. Thank you if you are listening,” Claveria said when asked about her message to the Japanese emperor.

The group is asking for three things: just compensation; recognition that sex slavery occurred at the time; and a public apology from Japan.

“It must be included in history that there were comfort women during World War II. They should establish markers, shrines on this issue. But none of that was answered by the government,” Extremadura said.

“While we know there is an action by the Japanese government toward resolving the issue of Korean comfort women, on the part of Filipino victims of military sexual slavery there is no action from the Japanese and Philippine government,” she added.

The group is determined not to give up the fight. “We dare to struggle, we dare to win. If only we stop the fight then that’s when we can say we have lost hope,” Extremadura said.

‘Historical wrong’

“The issue of comfort women is a historical wrong that has not been righted,” said Prof. Ricardo Jose of University of the Philippines’ Third World Studies Center, basing his statements on documents and witnesses.

He said it was very “frustrating and disheartening” that violence was continuing all around the world and “the lessons of the past have not been heeded.”

“Our job as historians is to propagate the wrongs of the past to prevent them for being repeated,” Jose said.

When the state visit happens next week, he hopes the issue between “equals” will be addressed.

“This should be seen as (an issue between) equals,” he said, adding Japan should not take the issue lightly because it considers itself a powerful country.

“While there have been nongovernment attempts to solve this issue, it has not been fully resolved,” Jose said.  “So much time has passed since it was brought out; it should really be acted upon.”

Their repeated calls for justice seem to have fallen on deaf ears, but Lila Pilipina hopes this will change soon.

“We will not stop until justice is served.” RC