Reparation and Compensation of Filipino Comfort Women: History Repeat Itself

History Repeat Itself

Reparation and Compensation of Filipino Comfort Women

Japan’s colonial occupation of Asia during World War II was subjected to the enslavement and kidnapping of young women for the sole purpose of sexual servitude. The enslavement of thousands of Filipino women including young children includes gang rape, forced abortions, sexual violence, human trafficking, and other crime against humanity whereas; it had become day-to-day activities of the Japanese soldiers. Almost six (6) decades had passed since the enslavement of Filipino comfort women, yet the Japanese government still fails and refuses to acknowledge its legal responsibility to the Filipino comfort women.

Several cases were filed and groups representing Filipino comfort women protested to redress the physical and emotional damages suffered in honor and dignity of thousands of Filipino comfort women.  In  April 28, 2010 ruling penned by Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo, the high court denied the comfort women's request to compel the Philippine government to have Tokyo apologize to them and provide compensation for being victims of sexual slavery by Japanese occupation forces during World War II. In Novemver , 2010 the Gabriela Party-list challenges the Aquino to reopen comfort women issue with Japan. The representatives of Gabriela, Emmi de Jesus and Luzviminda Ilagan and Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano filed a resolution urging Aquino to ask the Japanese government to formally acknowledge, apologize and accept responsibility over the sexual slavery of Filipino women during the World War II. In August 2014, the Supreme Court ruled with finality to deny a request of the Malaya Lolas to demand an apology and compensation from Japan for the sexual abuses they suffered during World War II. And recently, a lawyers' group representing Filipino comfort women in pushing for reparations and an apology from Japan bewailed the continued lack of attention to the Filipino comfort women despite the apology made by Japan to South Koreans. They averred that the Japanese government has finally agreed to apologize to South Korean comfort women but not for Filipino comfort women.

Lamentably, despite the several protest and complaints filed by different groups that representing Filipino comfort women, justice remains illusory to this day and amidst of President Aquino promise that his administration would correct the failure of past governments to provide reparation for comfort women, comfort women are still in the dark side dying one by one, waiting for the promised reparation from Japan for the abuses of Japanese soldiers during World War 2. The painful experiences and the psychological trauma suffered by the Filipino comfort women have remained unrelieved up to now, now that they are in the twilight of their lives. Last week, just before the state visit of Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, a group of Filipino comfort women reiterated their demand for a public apology and compensation for the injustice they endured during the Japanese colonial occupation. However, Aquino said the issue has been closed in 1956 but they have not been given justice ever since. They averred that Aquino had missed number of opportunities to give justice for the comfort women.

If the government will continue to disregard this issue, Japan will never realize how painful are the experiences and the psychological trauma suffered by the Filipino comfort women during their colonial occupation. History is a series of events, that, if misunderstood, will repeat itself. Gabriela party-list Secretary General Joms Salvador said that “When important historical facts like the systematic use of wartime sexual slaves is denied, there is always a real danger of it being repeated by future generations,” 

References:

http://gabrielawomensparty.net/pressreleases

http://www.manilatimes.net/comfort-women-seek-apology-compensation-from-japan/240923/

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/550268/news/nation/law-group-laments-continued-snub-of-filipino-comfort-women