MALACAÑANG said on Saturday the visit of Japanese Emperor Akihito to the Philippines could be an “instrument of healing and reconciliation” but the visiting dignitary can likely do little about the issue of Filipino comfort women during World War II.
“Let’s understand the role of the Emperor of Japan. It would surprise many of us, but he is not a head of state. He is a symbol of Japan,” Presidential Communications Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III said in an interview on state-run dzRB.
Quezon made the statement in response to questions whether President Benigno Aquino III will raise the issue of comfort women during the Emperor’s visit next week.
“The Emperor has always made a point to be an instrument of healing and reconciliation between the Japanese and the Filipino people,” Quezon said.
Quezon seemed to have agreed to the opinion of UP Third World Studies Center professor Ricardo Jose who has said “the issue of comfort women is a historical wrong that has not been righted.”
But Quezon said he will have to defer to the Foreign Affairs department, saying that the agency and the Office of the President “will pursue what is the appropriate approach over this painful chapter in our history.”
As the country prepares for the visit of Akihito and his wife Empress Michiko from Jan. 26 to 30, comfort women group Lila Pilipina expressed hope that Aquino will bring up the issue on WW II Filipino comfort women in behalf of former sex slaves of Japanese soldiers.
Lila Filipina has asked from the Japanese government a just compensation, recognition that sex slavery occurred at the time, and a public apology.
On Friday, Rechilda Extremadura, executive director of Lila Pilipina (League for Filipino Grandmothers), echoed the stance of the comfort women victims that Japan must still “apologize, uphold the truth and extend just compensation.”
“They are calling on the President to raise their concerns when Japanese Emperor Akihito, along with his wife Empress Michiko, arrives in the Philippines for a state visit from Jan. 26 until Jan. 30.
The Philippines and Japan will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations after the end of World War II.
“We may be older than him but our memory is far clearer. The grandmothers never heard an official statement of apology nor received compensation from the Japanese government. Perhaps, he is the one suffering from dementia,” Extremadura said.