Gabriela Youth, Bahaghari, and Flowers for Lolas gathered on August 14 at Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City to mark the International Memorial Day for Comfort Women.

During the activity, the groups recalled the thousands of women from different countries who fell victim to Japanese soldiers’ sexual abuse and called for justice for Filipino comfort women.

Recognizing imperialist Japan’s crime began when Korean Kim Hak-Sun publicly revealed her experience as a comfort woman on August 14, 1991. To honor the victims, the South Korean government designated August 14 as the international memorial day for comfort women in 2012.

Japanese soldiers forced into sexual slavery around 200,000 women from Korea, China, Burma, New Guinea, and the Philippines during World War II. On March 8, 2023, the United Nations Committee on the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) ruled that the Philippine government violated the rights of the victims of Japanese soldiers’ sexual slavery by failing to provide them reparation, social support, and recognition commensurate with the harm they suffered.

The recommended compensation includes recognizing the victims, an official apology from Japan, as well as material and moral damages aligned with the physical, psychological, and material harm they suffered and with the gravity of the violation of their rights.

According to Gabriela Youth, World War II took place long ago, but the government continues to disregard the comfort women’s call for justice.

“The previous Duterte regime removed the statue of comfort women on Roxas Boulevard. The present regime prioritized good relations with countries such as Japan and the US while setting aside justice for the victims,” Gabriela Youth explained.

The government continues to allow the presence of the US military through unequal agreements such as the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which open more US military bases in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, the Japan-Philippines Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) permits the entry and indefinite stay of an unlimited number of Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) troops in Philippine territory. While stationed in the country, they remain beyond Philippine authority, with Japan holding management and control over all their activities.

The Japanese Diet (Japan legislature) ratified this on June 6, and the Philippine Senate ratified it in December 2024. Representatives of Japan and the Philippines signed the RAA on July 8, 2024.

According to Gabriela Youth, these agreements foment prostitution, abuse of women, and violence against Filipinos.

“Marcos’ leadership perpetuates the silence and neglect of the history of victims of Japanese soldiers’ violence,” the group added.

“Governments must not pretend that abuse and killings in our country never happened. The grandmothers—the comfort women—continue to call for their stories to be included in history. No one must forget!” Gabriela Youth stated.