By Cody Cepeda | Special to the BusinessMirror
THE grandmother-members of Lila Pilipina, an organization of survivors of Japanese military sexual slavery during World War II (WWII), continue their quest for justice, at any forum, any time.
On January 22 they gathered at the Kamuning Bakery in Quezon City. This time, to make Japanese Emperor Akihito heed their call for recognition, especially a public apology for the atrocities heaped on them by members of the Japanese Imperial Army during the last war.
The lolas present were Narcisa Claveria, 85, of Ilocos Sur; Felicidad de los Reyes, 87, of Masbate; Hilaria Bustamante, 90, of Singalong, Manila; and Estelita Dy, 85, of Negros Occidental.
The media forum was organized in light of Akihito’s visit from January 26 to 30.
Joining the comfort-women lolas was Richie Extramadura, executive director of Lila Pilipina. “We are here today because we want to express the struggle of these lolas for justice.”
She said that for the past 25 years, the Lila Pilipina group has never wavered in its quest for justice. The comfort women, many of them septuagenarians now, have resolutely sought for the governments of the Philippines and Japan, to acknowledge and publicly apologize the war crimes committed against them by the Japanese Imperial Army.
“So many resolutions have been filed in the past, but nothing positive came out of it. Why is there action for the resolution of the South Korean government, but none for the Filipino comfort women from both Japan and the Philippine governments?” Extramadura asked.
“For the past 25 years, we wanted the Phiippine government to recognize the lolas, but we got nothing. The lolas want the Japanese government to issue an unequivocal apology, to include the realities of the war crime in history, and to give just compensation. We accept no more, no less,” she said.
True justice, not hollow lip service
IN 2010 Extramadura recalled that President Aquino said he would ask former Ambassador Emmanuel Lopez to handle the matter. Mr. Aquino also said he would ask Congress to create a law guaranteeing that the comfort women would get compensation from the 1956 Reparations Agreement.
“Nothing came out of it. It was all talk,” Extramadura said, adding that this is President Aquino’s obligation because the lolas are his people.
“Sana naman, hopefully, mag-ingat siya. Knowing Noynoy Aquino.… Siya ang head of state, kanino namin ito i-a-address? Pilipino naman siya, di ba? Basta kami po, makikibaka dahil doon lang ang pag-asa namin. Mananalo kami dahil lumalaban kami.”
Extramadura expressed disappointment that the comfort women’s dilemma remains a low priority and a nonissue to most government officials and politicians.
“President Aquino had many chances to talk to Abe, to Akihito, but he failed to do it. Hopefully, by the 27th, when he talks to Emperor Akihito, Aquino would remember he had a mother, a grandmother, and remember to represent the comfort women. We need true justice, not bogus justice.”
Public apology, historical inclusion, just compensation
LOLA Narcisa, who was taken to a Japanese garrison along with her two sisters when she was 13 years old, said the President should heed their call for justice.
“’Di kami tumitigil, hindi kami nagkukulang. Ni bulong lang man sa prime minister tungkol sa kababaihan, wala. Parang hindi Pilipino.” Lola Narcisa’s older sister lost her mind because of the trauma.
Lola Hilaria, who was abducted by the Japanese military when she was 16, said her group is only asking for three things: unequivocal public apology, accurate historical inclusion and just compensation.
She said she grew up being ashamed of what happened to her, and kept her experience as a secret from her family.
Lola Estelita is calling Philippine government officials: “Sana huwag na silang magtulug-tulogan at magising na sila. Asikasuhin nila kami. Kailangan namin ng public apology, at hindi sa sulat. Itala sa kasaysayan ang aming naranasan para mabasa ng bagong henerasyon. Kailangan namin ng tunay na hustisya.”
Lola Estelita was only 14 years old when she was mistaken as a guerrilla member and abducted by the Japanese military.
‘A historical wrong that must be made right’
Ricardo T. Jose, a history professor at the University of the Philippines and director of the Third World Studies Center, underscored that the issue of the comfort women is a case of a historical wrong that hasn’t been made right.
“Violence against one woman is violence against other women. This is a case of organized sexual slavery; where else in the world has this happened in an extremely organized scale?” he said.
Jose added that so many years had passed and still, both governments have not acted on the issue.
Jom Salvador, secretary-general of Gabriela, said the Japan-PHL Visiting Forces Agreement is a threat to Filipino women.
“The US-Japan military alliance will surely breed modern-day Filipino comfort women. In war, women are always vulnerable.”
Although Akihito issued an apology last August on the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII, the apology was deemed inadequate and a nonapology by the comfort women.
The current emperor, son of Emperor Hirohito, also allowed the amendment of the Japanese Constitution to remove Article 9 (which prohibits Japan to build up military power to promote peace) that caused people to doubt his sincerity even more.
‘Mister emperor, don’t be unfair’
LOLA Estelita implores Akihito to be fair in treating the case of the comfort women. She urges that Japan should answer to them and treat them fairly and equally, not just the Koreans. “Sana huwag naman siyang unfair dahil kami ay biktima rin.”
Lola Narcisa said she and the rest of the lolas grew up with no dignity and missed many opportunities because of the horror of their shared experience. She is now asking Akihito to right the mistakes of his father. “Siya ngayon ang emperador. Dapat na ituwid niya ang daan na tinahak ng ama niya.”
“Mister emperor, dapat tugunan mo itong aming kahilingan. Para pag kami namatay, madala naman namin ang aming hustisya,” she pleaded.