‘Comfort women’ planning to join SONA rally

MANILA, Philippines - “Comfort women” are planning to join a protest rally on July 22 when President Aquino delivers his fourth State of the Nation Address.

The comfort women hope to reiterate their demands and to press the government to support them in their quest for justice, especially now that they are old and in need of help.

In an interview with The STAR, members belonging to two groups of comfort women said their struggle for justice has been a continuing battle since World War II.

The two groups are the Lila Pilipina (League for Filipino Grandmothers), formed in 1992 with 174 members, and the Malaya Lolas (Free Grandmothers), whose members refused to be called comfort women as they were gang-raped in Bulacan in 1944.

Rechilda Extremadura, executive director of Lila Pilipina, said the issue of comfort women is rarely discussed anymore. She said if ever the issue comes out, it does not bring good news.

Extremadura was apparently referring to an incident last month when a Japanese mayor said that the use of comfort women was necessary for Japanese soldiers during World War II.

Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto was quoted as saying that the sexual servitude by women in Asia was necessary to maintain discipline in their military.

Hashimoto’s statement drew criticisms from various parts of the world, including from the Filipina comfort women who wanted the government to file a diplomatic protest against Japan.

The Japanese official retracted his statement.

The Department of Foreign Affairs did not file a diplomatic protest, but issued a statement criticizing Hashimoto.

Lila Pilipina and Malaya Lolas said the lack of action against Hashimoto is reminiscent of what they call the government’s lack of interest in the situation of Filipino comfort women.

One thing remains clear for the comfort women, and that is their demands have not been met all this time.

The two groups have a combined membership of more than 200 comfort women.

Malaya Lolas head Isabelita Vinuya, 81, told The STAR that they continue to demand public apology from Japan and legal compensation for the atrocities committed against them.

She also wished that the Aquino administration would form a body to look into the plight of the comfort women.

“Many of us are now old and sick and have no means to pay for medicine and yet we do not receive help from the government,” Vinuya said.

She reminded President Aquino of his promise that he would serve the interests of the Filipino people.

Lola Pilar Galang, 82, also from Malaya Lolas, said no government official has officially talked to or helped them.

Extremadura said the Philippine government must not ignore the issue of comfort women, noting that many of them are old now. She said they should not die without seeing justice.

Part of their demand is for the Japanese government to issue a worldwide apology similar to what the German government did for the Holocaust that killed six million Jews.

While some top Japanese officials have expressed apology, Extremadura said there was no admission of the crime. She said the Philippine government should push for this.

Her group is also demanding legal compensation.

Extremadura said the compensation provided by the Asia Women’s Fund, a Japanese government-initiated organization, is not acceptable to some comfort women as they noted that the money did not come from Japan’s coffers.

She said the Philippine government has yet to act on their pleas and Philippine Ambassador to Japan Manuel Lopez has yet to make recommendations of a study on a compromise deal that is acceptable to all parties.

Human rights lawyer Harry Roque, counsel for Malaya Lolas, said the apology issued by Japanese officials in the past is not enough as there has been no admission of the crimes committed.

In the meantime, comfort women continue to hope for justice, at least before they die.

Lola Virginia Villarama, 83, a member of Lila Pilipina, expressed hope that no other generation of women would experience the atrocities committed to them during the war.