Time running out for Pinay comfort women

MANILA, Philippines - Seven decades after World War II, only six Filipina comfort women remain physically active in their fight for justice for the sexual slavery they suffered during the war.

The remaining 70 members of Lila Pilipina, an organization of comfort women, are already senile, sickly and blind.

“In our records, we have a total of 174 comfort women members but 104 already passed away, 70 are sick, while only six or possibly eight of them are still pushing on with their fight for what they suffered during the Japanese occupation,” Lila Pilipina executive director Rechilda Extremadura said in a forum yesterday.

Four of the six physically active comfort women attended the forum.

Narcisa Claveria, 85; Hilaria Bustamante, 89; Felicidad de Los Reyes, 87; and Estelita Dy, 85 reiterated their appeal to the Japanese government to issue an official apology to all victims of sexual slavery during the war.

“We have not yet received justice up to now. We lost our dignity. We lost the chance to study. Our President should do something to help us with our sufferings. We are asking for justice and compensation,” Claveria said in Filipino.

Bustamante, who is turning 90 in February, said that their oppression must also be documented so that the younger generations would know and learn that sexual slavery must not be repeated.

Dy appealed to Japanese Emperor Akihito, who would visit the Philippines on Jan. 27, to be fair by compensating Filipino comfort women and not only Korean comfort women.

Extremadura noted that the struggle of the comfort women has reached its 25th year and, given their deteriorating health, they are preparing for any eventuality.

“We are ready for this. Even their respective families are set to continue the fight and demand justice. The organization will just push through with its advocacy in helping our comfort women,” she added.

In the forum, the organization of comfort women also brought out origami cranes symbolizing peace. They said they made these to remind President Aquino of the number of missed opportunities he could have used to pursue justice for Filipina comfort women.

Extremadura noted that Aquino promised in November 2010 that he would task then newly appointed Ambassador Emmanuel Lopez to have the Japanese government come to a compromise on the apology.

“As for the compensation, he said that he will ask Congress to make a law that will ensure that the remaining lolas will be compensated from the funds provided by the 1956 Reparations Agreement, which he described as ‘all-encompassing,’ meaning including comfort women. As far as the lolas are concerned, it was all talk. Congress never came up with anything, except for resolutions filed by the Makabayan bloc of lawmakers,” she added.

The group also said they are doubtful that Aquino would broach the subject of apology and compensation with Emperor Akihito during his Philippine visit next week.