On the Day of the Commemoration of the end of WWII: Justice Must Prevail for the Victims of the Japanese Military Sexual Slavery

Written by: Dimple Paz | Edited by: Jovie Galit

During World War II, Japanese troops forcibly took thousands of women from the Philippines, China, the Netherlands, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, East Timor, New Guinea, and other countries, subjecting them to sexual enslavement. While the majority of these women were from Korea, the injustices were faced by Filipina women too. 

These women, referred to as “Comfort Women,” were forced into sexual slavery and confined in “Comfort Stations” by the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces in occupied countries and territories before and during World War II. 

Comfort Stations: A Living Hell for Comfort Women

The women in comfort stations lived in severe conditions, subjected to continual rape and brutal violence. Those who resisted were beaten or even murdered. They were forced to provide sexual services to numerous Japanese military officers and officials, their human dignity utterly trampled upon. According to various regulations, comfort stations were often open from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM or later. As the war situation deteriorated for Japan, the lives of the comfort women became even more miserable.

Photo Credit: Columbia Press

The Japanese Imperial Army's Systematic Plan for Abducting, Trafficking, and Forcing Women into Sexual Slavery

According to the UCLA Center for Korean Studies, after World War II, the Japanese military destroyed many records, including those related to the "comfort women" system. Decades later, historian Yoshimi Yoshiaki discovered important documents that proved the Japanese military's involvement. These records, some of which had been stored in a protected warehouse and later seized by the Allied Forces, were returned to Japan and made public in 1991.

The available documents, categorized into four areas—establishment, recruitment, transportation, and management of comfort stations—show that the military administered the system and often referred to comfort women as supplies rather than people.

Establishment of the Comfort Station System: The documents reveal how the Japanese military created and expanded the system. A 1937 regulation allowed comfort stations to be added to field canteens as part of military supply bases, with the stated goals of “boosting troop morale”, maintaining discipline, and preventing venereal disease. In 1938, the North China Area Army Chief of Staff ordered the installation of relief facilities to curb anti-Japanese sentiment caused by soldiers' rapes. Additional documents show cooperation between the military and government authorities in recruiting "comfort women" and setting up stations in China from 1937 to 1938.

Conscription and Recruitment of Women: The documents reveal how local police and military authorities collaborated to recruit "comfort women." One significant document, JS-13, played a critical role in the Japanese government's eventual acknowledgment of the military's involvement in the system. Discovered in the 1990s, it shows that the Ministry of the Army was aware that recruitment methods resembled kidnapping. In 1938, the Ministry ordered military units to directly supervise the recruitment process.

Transportation of Women: Documents confirm the role of the Japanese military in transporting "comfort women" across borders. Women sent to conflict zones were transported on ships operated by the military with the permission of the Army Central Command. JS-14 shows that the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordinated the transportation of women to China for naval comfort stations. Women needed travel certificates issued by the consular police (JS-18), which illustrates the close cooperation between the military and consular officials. These records indicate that "comfort women" were regarded as valuable military assets, not just travelers.

1941: Japan Expanded Conquest in the Philippines

This marked the beginning of the ordeal faced by women in the Philippines at the hands of Japanese soldiers. Japan launched an attack on the Philippines on December 8, 1941, just ten hours after their initial strike on Pearl Harbor. Initial aerial bombardment was followed by landings of ground troops both north and south of Manila. Most of the 80,000 Filipino prisoners of war captured by the Japanese at Bataan were forced to undertake the infamous "Bataan Death March" to Camp O'Donnell prison camp in Capas, Tarlac, 105 kilometers north of Mariveles, Bataan. Thousands of men, weakened by disease and malnutrition and subjected to harsh treatment by their captors, died before reaching their destination. More men perished from Japanese mistreatment in the first four months in the camps than had died in the preceding four months of battle.

In Manila during WWII, there were 12 comfort stations and 5 brothels for Japanese soldiers. War prisoners reported the existence of 5-6 comfort stations with Korean, Filipino, and Chinese women. In North Luzon, Bayombong had one comfort station. In Central Visayas, Masbate had a "Military Club," and Iloilo had two stations with 12-16 women in one and 10-11 in the other. Cebu had a Japanese-operated comfort station. In Tacloban, a Filipino-managed station housed 9 Filipino women; by August 1944, Burauen had a new station. Butuan in Mindanao had a station with 3 Filipino women in 1942, and Cagayan had three stations by February 1943. Davao also had comfort stations with Korean, Taiwanese, and Filipino women. Many women were forcibly abducted and abused, with some witnessing the killing of their family members.

Photo Credit: Cheeyun Kwon, Research Gate

The use of comfort stations and the forced sexual exploitation of women during World War II represents a harrowing chapter in Philippine history, with profound and lasting impacts.

Immortalized Trauma

[Lola - the Tagalog or Filipino word for grandmother, refers to the aging Filipino]

Lola Crisanta, a member of Lila Pilipina—an organization of former comfort women—passed away at the age of 79 in 2000. Her daughter, Nenita Escobedo, shared that Lola Crisanta was captured and abducted by Japanese soldiers during World War II when she was just 17 years old. Nenita recounted how her mother would sometimes fall silent or stare blankly into space. She would seek cover whenever she heard an airplane passing overhead and would faint at the sound of any commotion. Nenita and their entire family were deeply angry and hurt by the suffering her mother endured in her youth—suffering that, to this day, remains unrecorded in history as a victim of Japanese soldiers.

Photo Credit: #ParaKayLola, UP Diliman-NSTP CWTS

Maria Quilantang, leader of Malaya Lolas, can still remember the sound of warplanes and the footsteps of Japanese soldiers as they stormed her village in central Philippines. During the surprise attack, which took place at Mapaniqui in November 1944, houses were torched and many of the local men were shot on suspicion of being resistance fighters. Some of the villagers were violently beaten in front of their children. The family of Quilantang were punished, she said that some were tied, and the others were being kicked, they could only watch, and her parents lost consciousness for a long time.

Maria Quilantang, Phot credit: Tristan Biglete

Although Quilantang was able to escape – she ran into the dense undergrowth of the surrounding forest and eventually took refuge in a neighboring village – her mother and sisters were taken to the so-called ‘Red House,’ a nearby mansion that served as a headquarters for the Imperial Japanese army. There, the women and girls, some as young as eight at the time, were detained for weeks, beaten and raped by soldiers. 

Lola Crisanta and Maria Quilantang were among the 1,000 Filipino women forced into sexual enslavement during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Many women died or committed suicide due to brutal mistreatment and sustained physical and emotional distress. 

Despite the trauma, a brave María Rosa Luna Henson, also known as “Lola Rosa”, spoke out and exposed the crimes of the Japanese Military during WWII

At the age of 15 in 1942, Lola Rosa was raped twice before being arrested and taken to a garrison where she was forced to serve as a “comfort woman” for nine months. Decades later at a press conference in 1992, Lola Rosa spoke out about her experiences, being the first Filipino woman to do so. Furthermore, she wrote a book titled Comfort Woman: Slave of Destiny detailing the silent and invisible existence of Filipino comfort women.

Lola Rosa, Photo Credit: PCIJ

Her valor in coming forward inspired over 50 other Filipino women to share their stories for the first time, and the victims, including those from Korea and China, filed a class action lawsuit against the Japanese government in 1993. The suit demanded a formal apology from the Japanese government in the form of including all the war-time atrocities committed by the Japanese in Japan's school history books, as well as monetary reparations. 

Lola Rosa's legacy is a heroic contribution to advancing the comfort women’s movement, particularly in the Philippines. Her efforts to encourage others to speak up continue to raise awareness about the suffering of comfort women during WWII and the ongoing fight for justice and reparations.

The Journey to Justice

Lila Pilipina, an organization of World War II "comfort women", alongside other groups have approached various agencies within the Philippine government, but it is primarily non-governmental organizations and institutions, both within and outside the country, that have helped them in their efforts to gain recognition and seek apologies and justice from the Japanese government.

Through the efforts of various groups, led by Lila Pilipina, a statue of a Filipina comfort woman was publicly displayed along Baywalk, Roxas Boulevard in Manila. Unveiled on December 8, 2017, and installed with the support of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and other donors and foundations, the statue was dedicated to the Filipino comfort women, including those who were coerced into working in military brothels during World War II.

Since its installation, the statue has garnered both support from concerned groups and criticism from government agencies. It was removed on April 27, 2018, sparking backlash. The statue was stored in the private studio of its artist, Jonas Roces, in Antipolo, Rizal, but was later stolen.

Both the previous and current administrations under President Marcos Jr. have yet to fulfill their responsibilities to the victims of WWII. This failure is largely attributed to the influence of Japanese ODA (Official Development Assistance). Japan's ODA program, managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is designed to aid developing countries through various forms of support, including infrastructure projects and humanitarian aid. However, groups like Lila Pilipina argue that Japan uses this assistance as leverage to avoid making amends for historical injustices, such as those committed against comfort women.

The concern is that Japan's ODA is being used strategically to counteract or delay demands for formal apologies and reparations. This tactic can be seen as a way to sidestep accountability while continuing to offer financial support and aid.

Lila Pilipina argues that this situation effectively undermines the pursuit of justice for comfort women. They contend that Japan’s assistance should not come at the expense of addressing historical wrongs and fulfilling its responsibilities to the victims.

According to Lila Pilipina Executive Director Sharon Cabusao-Silva, the Japanese government has never genuinely apologized to Filipino comfort women and other wartime rape victims. She emphasized that the private letters of apology sent by Japanese state leaders in the 1990s did not carry the weight of a full and official apology. Moreover, the establishment of the Asian Women’s Fund following these letters does not indicate genuine remorse, as the funds were donations by private citizens and were not, in any way, reparations for the harm inflicted by the Japanese Imperial government, which should bear full responsibility for these crimes.

Continuing the Fight for the Future of Filipinos for National Sovereignty and the Welfare of Filipino Comfort Women

Institutions like the Lila Pilipina center is a place for solidarity and action for Lolas. Further, the center functions as a shelter/accommodation for Lola’s who need livelihood support. It is also a space for documenting the history of the women who survived Japan’s military sexual slavery. Lila Pilipina keeps the documents of 174 survivors’ testimonies and other related documents collected since the funding of the Task Force on Filipino Comfort Women in 1992.

Photo Wall at Lila Pilipina Center. Photo credit: Tristan Biglete

Lila Pilipina also exhibits the photos of the Lolas, records of their activities, their hand-made embroideries depicting their wartime experiences, and quilts made especially for the rally in front of the Japanese embassy in Manila. Additionally, this serves as a place to pass on history to the next generation. They accommodate university students, media reporters, and visitors from overseas. Lila Pilipina frequently gives testimonies at universities; however, due to the Lolas' advanced age, they become less active with in-person engagements. The Pamanas (legacies) of the Lolas—carried on by their children and grandchildren—are now continuing these important activities.

In June 2023, Gabriela Women’s Partylist Representative Arlene Brosas filed House Bill No. 8859, declaring August 14 as National Comfort Women’s Day in the Philippines. The bill aims to ensure that the hardships endured by Filipino women during that time are remembered. It recognizes that comfort women were victims of sexual violence and exploitation, subjected to unimaginable suffering and trauma, and emphasizes the importance of remembering their stories to prevent such atrocities from ever being repeated.

This year, the Makabayan bloc also filed House Bill 8564, or the Comfort Women Education Act, urging its passage for Filipino youth education on comfort women. The bill advocates for the inclusion of the lives and heroism of Filipino comfort women in Philippine elementary, secondary, and tertiary curricula to address the historical knowledge gap and underscore the pressing need for the Comfort Women Education Act.

Never Again to Another Generation of Comfort Women! No to the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) of Japan and the Philippines!

The RAA agreement between the Philippines and Japan is raising concerns as it will strengthen military collaboration, allowing Japanese troops to enter the Philippines freely. This has sparked fears that the historical injustices faced by comfort women could be repeated, especially with unclear legal jurisdiction over potential crimes. Lila Pilipina warns that Japan is straying from its constitutional commitment to peace and urges the country to apologize for past war crimes. The agreement is seen as part of a broader U.S.-led strategy in the Indo-Pacific to contain China.

What should Filipinos in Diaspora do to support the Campaign?

• Support the campaign of Lila Pilipina by issuing statements of support and joining the victim-survivor Lolas in Lila Pilipina’s "Ringing of Bells" campaign. This campaign aims to highlight the ongoing struggle of comfort women for justice and to oppose policies and military exercises that endanger women’s lives.
• Support the Lila Pilipina Center through donations by reaching out to them via their Facebook page.
• #ParaKayLola, created by students of UP Diliman-NSTP CWTS, is running a week-long information campaign about the Lolas and the Lila Pilipina organization. This effort includes a donation initiative for the benefit of the Lolas, their families, and the advocates of Lila Pilipina. If you wish to donate monetarily or in-kind, please refer to this link.