Japan has once again extended its apologies for the suffering inflicted by Japanese soldiers on Filipino “comfort women” during World War II.
In an Unang Balita report, Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs deputy press secretary Kaneko Mariko reiterated the country’s deep remorse and apologies for the wartime atrocities. Kaneko also noted that Japan considers the reparations settled through the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty.
“We fully recognize that the dignity and honor of those former comfort women was injured, and to that, the government of Japan has been extending, expressing apologies, and deep remorse for those actions during the war,” Kaneko stated.
Despite the legal settlement of reparations, Kaneko emphasized that Japan has taken multiple measures to restore the honor of the comfort women.
Last week, Senator Risa Hontiveros called for “just and meaningful reparations” for Filipino comfort women and their families, highlighting the urgency as the number of surviving comfort women dwindles.
“There are only 18 remaining Malaya Lolas. They cannot wait any longer,” said Hontiveros, who chairs the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality. She urged President Marcos and the administration to fulfill their promise of aid and assistance to these women.
In March 2023, the Philippine government committed to reviewing a United Nations panel report which stated that the Philippines failed to meet its obligations to the comfort women. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) urged the Philippines to provide full reparations, including an official apology and material and moral damages, for the continuing discrimination.