Apology, acceptance sought from Japan

 MANILA, Philippines -- A resolution has been passed by a committee at the House of Representatives urging the Philippine government to ask Japan to formally acknowledge, “apologize and accept” its responsibility over the sexual slavery of young women, also known as “comfort women,” during World War II.

The committee on foreign affairs, chaired by Cebu Representative Antonio Cuenco, unanimously passed on Tuesday House Resolution 124 filed by Gabriela Women’s Partylist Representatives Liza Maza and Luzviminda Ilagan; Bayan Muna Representatives Satur Ocampo and Teodoro Casiño; Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran; and Parañaque Representative Eduardo Zialcita, an administration ally.

The approval came despite the warning issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs against the compensation provision in the measure.

Marcial Louis Alferez, acting director of DFA’s Asian and Pacific Affairs, said the specific call for compensation and claims contained in the resolution was a “reversal of the long-standing Philippine position on war claims and the prevailing understanding between the governments of the Philippines and of Japan.”

“All claims related to the war are understood to have been covered by the bilateral reparations agreement of 1996 and the San Francisco treaty of 1951. Other Asian countries have also received reparations after the war and they have made no claims afterwards,” Alferez said during the hearing.

“In all high level meetings between Japan and several other countries, no government has sought claims on behalf of comfort women,” he pointed out.

Alferez clarified that the department would not be an obstacle for claims made on individual or private capacity as well as to the chamber’s move to articulate its support for the comfort women.

“We are prepared, nonetheless, to explore ways to best assist in this endeavor of the House and of the lolas [grandmothers],” the official said.

Representatives of the Department of Justice and the Department of Social Welfare and Development also expressed support for the immediate approval of the measure.

Harry Roque, legal counsel for the group “Malaya, Lola [Free, Grandmother],” insisted, however, that the compensation call in the resolution was not a violation of the San Francisco peace pact, citing an “obligation entered into by Japan itself, which conditioned its surrender to its continuing compliance with modern human rights law.”

“Already, the resolution that weare discussing today specified at least breaches two human rights norms committed by Japan as a result of the comfort women situation and that’s a breach of an international law against trafficking of women and secondly, a breach of an obligation against slavery,” Roque explained.

Upon Maza’s motion, the committee proceeded with the approval of the resolution.

Cuenco said his committee would immediately make a report on the resolution so that the House could approve it at the plenary before Congress goes on recess on Wednesday.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20080311-124016/UPDATE-House-panel-OKs-resolution-on-comfort-women

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Having gotten to know some of the lolas of Lila Filipina** who have passed on without their demands for justice and compensation satisfactorily addressed, makes me hope that our lawmakers would realize that time is running out for our lolas. It took years for  them to be able to deal with the trauma and bravely come out publicly about their experiences. Now, spending their last days in their campaign for justice as well as in advocacy work to end violence against women especially in areas of armed conflict, I believe its high time that our government finally give them the support they deserve.