'Envoy to Japan will handle apology for comfort women'

MANILA, Philippines - A day before leaving to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, President Aquino said his soon-to-be-appointed ambassador to Japan would take care of seeking an apology to comfort women who were made sex slaves during World War II.

In an interview with the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP), he said the ambassador will have to “explore ways” at achieving this, as these women need to have their dignity back.

“As for asking for apologies at this point in time, diplomacy has to have a lot of legwork done with it and we are in the process of culminating the appointment of a new ambassador to Japan and that will be one of his tasks upon assumption of office, subject to confirmation by our Commission on Appointments,” the President said.

The President has appointed former Manila Electric Company (Meralco) president Manuel Lopez as ambassador to Japan.

Likewise, Mr. Aquino hinted that he would ask Congress to allow him to use funds to compensate the comfort women who were victimized by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II.

He said the Japanese government has apparently made reparations already, and that if there is still something to be given by the Philippine government, then he would do so.

“As far as the compensation is concerned, I understand the reparations and part of the Treaty (of Peace with Japan signed in 1951) are supposed to have taken care of all reparations,” he stressed.

“So if it is the Philippine government who failed to take care of them adequately some time in the ’50s, I think, then that should be something that we should correct,” the President added.

He said there is a need to compensate these victims of sexual abuse by the Japanese Imperial Army.

“A reparation is necessary for these comfort women, for them to get a measure of their dignity back. So I’ll probably go to Congress and ask them for a pertinent law that will authorize expenditures to make up for what previous governments in this country had failed to do,” Mr. Aquino added.

When asked if the compensation for the comfort women was included in the 2011 budget, the President said that although the budget had already been passed, “perhaps we can ask for a supplement if that is allowable under the pertinent laws.”