Lawyer Harry Roque
MANILA, Philippines–A lawyer for Filipino comfort women in World War II on Wednesday slammed Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto for his “crass” and “obscene” statement that the sexual service they provided for the Japanese soldiers was “necessary” to keep them in check.
Harry Roque, who represents the Malaya Lolas, a group of women who were raped during World War II in Candaba, Pampanga, also held the Japanese government accountable for the statement made by Hashimoto.
Roque urged the government to lodge a diplomatic protest against Hashimoto.
Last Monday, the Osaka mayor was quoted in the Japanese media saying that the comfort women system during World War II was necessary.
“In the circumstances in which bullets are flying like rain and wind, the soldiers are running around at the risk of losing their lives. If you want them to have a rest in such a situation, a comfort women system is necessary. Anyone can understand that,” the Osaka mayor said.
“The statement is crass, obscene and is an attempt to justify a criminal act under international law,” Roque said in a statement.
He reminded that under the customary international law and the Geneva Conventions, rape and all forms of degrading and humiliating treatment committed in the context of armed conflict have always been illegal.
“Moreover, since it was publicly made by an elected agent of the Japanese state, the statement is an official pronouncement of the state Japan nonetheless, pursuant to the Articles of State responsibility,” Roque said, noting that these articles provide that all acts and/or statements by state organs may give rise to attribution to the state.
Roque urged Tokyo to publicly apologize for “this systematic criminal act and pay reparations to their victims” instead of justifying this war crime.
He said the group was studying further legal options against the Osaka mayor and the Japanese government for this statement.
Just last month, the Malaya Lolas asked the Supreme Court to reconsider its 2010 ruling dismissing their petition to compel the government to support their bid to get an official apology and reparations from the Japanese government.