Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 4) – Filipino comfort women who were abused by Japanese troops during World War II demanded justice and reparation for the atrocities committed as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited the Philippines on Nov. 3-4.
There are now only 38 surviving Filipinos who were forced to become comfort women, according to the advocates for comfort women known as Flowers for Lolas.
One survivor, 93-year-old Estelita Dy, wanted to be a teacher when she was a child. That is, until her dreams were destroyed by Japanese soldiers who forced her into becoming a sex slave when she was just 14.
“Nung panahon ng Hapon, hindi na kami nakapag-aral. Wala kaming magandang kinabukasan at ano na lang ang mapapasukan naming trabaho? Katulong?” Dy told a Saturday panel led by women who were abused by Japanese forces.
“Ako, ang balak ko (maging) teacher,” she said. “Pero hindi ko nakamit ang maging teacher dahil naalala ko ‘yung mga nangyari sa akin.”
[Translation: During the Japanese occupation, we were not able to study anymore. We had no future and what work could we have? As helpers? I wanted to be a teacher but I did not become one because I couldn’t forget what happened to me.]
Dy urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to echo their call for justice.
“Ngayon, nanawagan kami kay Presidente [Ferdinand] Bongbong Marcos na tumulong sa amin na makipag-ano kay Fumio Kishida para naman maibsan ang aming mga kaapihan nung panahon pa ng Hapon,” she said.
“Sana mabigyan na ng hustisya,” Dy also said. “Bago man kami mamatay, may hustisya kaming nakakamit sa gobyernong Hapon.”
[Translation: Now, we call on President Marcos to speak to Kishida on our behalf so that we can get justice over the abuses we endured during the Japanese occupation. I hope the Japanese government can give us justice before we die.]
On top of reparations and a formal apology from the Japanese government, Flowers for Lolas demanded that the atrocities committed by the soldiers be taught in school curriculum, and even build statues in honor of the women who were victimized.
“We allowed Japan to put up memorials and shrines honoring their dead soldiers who killed, tortured, raped our women, children. Why can’t the government put up shrines and memorials recognizing our own comfort women? It is unfair,” Flowers for Lolas lead convenor Teresita Ang-See said.
Virginia Suarez, a lawyer for the comfort women said the stories of these lolas must be preserved.
“Posibleng magkaroon ng [we might see] second generations of comfort women, second generation of victims of military sexual slavery if the stories of the lolas will not be included in the curriculum,” Suarez said.
CNN Philippines correspondent Daniza Fernandez contributed to this report.
