Implied Apology

“To the visiting emperor, we are already old, our bodies are weak and many of us have died already. We call on you to grant us compensation…”, said Isabelita Vinuya, 84, President of Malaya Lolas, an organization of surviving Filipino comfort women.

During the Japanese occupation in the Philippines from 1942 to 1945, it was estimated that 1,000 women were taken forcibly by Japanese soldiers and served as comfort women, a Japanese euphemism for sex slaves. Day and night, they were repeatedly raped by the soldiers.

In September 1992, the testimony of the first Filipino comfort woman to speak about her experiences was held in public. Then came out of hiding other comfort women and followed suit. A total of 174 surviving comfort women were recognized and now, less than half are remaining. Of course, they died due to old age. More than two decades have passed, these women, backed with different women groups, continue to fight for an unequivocal public apology from the Japanese government, accurate historical inclusion, and just compensation. No more, no less. In December 2015, Japan and South Korea settled the issue on comfort women when Tokyo agreed to pay P1 billion yen for the Korean comfort women. No such agreement has been made with the Philippines. Hence, a heightened laments for justice by the seemingly old but hopeful Filipino comfort women.

I am not against the sentiments of our Filipino comfort women. But considering the events after the Japanese rule, I believe that Japan already gave what is due to the Filipino people.

It was more than 70 years since the ordeal with the hands of the Japanese has ceased. The Philippines has long recovered as a colony. In fact, our past and present leaders have established diplomatic relations with our past adversaries. Japan is a top source of foreign aid and investment in the Philippines. In 1956, diplomatic relation between Japan and Philippines was formally established when the Senate ratified the Reparations Agreement between Japan and the Republic of the Philippines. Article I of the agreement provides that Japan, by way of reparations, shall supply the Republic of the Philippines with the services of the Japanese people and the products of Japan in the form of capital goods. As provided in the Annex of the agreement, these include agricultural, fishery, electric power, mineral resources, industrial, transportation, communication, public works and other development projects as needed. It is worthy to note that JapanThis year marks the 60 years of diplomatic relation between Japan and Philippines, thus, the visit of the Emperor and Empress in January. Three years of colonization and slavery has long passed but the diplomatic relationship with the former colonizer is going steady on its 60^th year. Verily, there no longer exists an enemy but an ally.

I understand the sentiments and experiences of the surviving comfort women. However, the after-colonization acts that Japanese government engaged to build and maintain diplomatic relation with the Philippines is a strong implication of apology from the brutal past. It may not be expressed and direct to the Filipino comfort women, but is intended for national interest in general, which I believe is all-encompassing.

History is clear as to their experiences as Filipino comfort women. The Philippine government has extended financial help. They are already old. It is more proper that our government take charge for their plight not by urging the Japanese government to grant them apology, history inclusion and compensation but to initiate a peace talk and amicably settle.