GWP: President Aquino's Inaction Makes Him Accessory to Comfort Women Injustices

“Seven months after President Aquino mentioned to members of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) that his administration would “correct" the failure of past governments to provide reparation for the so-called comfort women, the “lolas” are still in the dark side, waiting for the promised reparation,” said GWP Rep. Emmi De Jesus today as grandmothers of Lila Filipina walk to Mendiola to clamor for their long-held dreams of official apology and reparations from the Japanese government for war sex crimes committed by the Japanese Imperial Army during the World War II.

“President Aquino has yet to take a concrete step on behalf of the Filipino comfort women. And as he continues to neglect their claim for justice, the lolas continue to suffer in the hands of successive administrations that continued to ignore their demands. With this attitude of the President, he affirms his leaning towards protecting the interest of powerful nations like Japan, in the guise of maintaining diplomatic relations,” explained Rep. Emmi De Jesus.

“More than 65 bona fide members of Lila Pilipina, an organization of Filipino comfort women, have died since they started taking up the issue in 1991, without seeing the light of justice. The war may have ended more than half a century ago, but they remain victimized by the continued denial of their demands," added the Gabriela solon.

“In the forthcoming State of the Nation Address, we expect that the Aquino government will talk big on its supposed accomplishments, but the grandmothers know better as they have seen his subservience to foreign dictates. And for as long as the lolas continue to be strong and firm in demanding for their rights from a President who sways in infirmity, Gabriela Women’s Party will be steadfast in supporting the lolas’ clamor for justice,” ended Rep. Emmi De Jesus.###