Gabriela Women’s Party representatives called on the Department of Foreign Affairs to declare Osaka, Japan Mayor Toru Hashimoto as persona non grata for rationalizing World War II sex slaves as “necessary” during wartime.

Reps. Emmi de Jesus and Luz Ilagan expressed their call for the Aquino government to “rush their defense amid such insulting, abusive remarks,” after the prominent Japanese politician’s statement regarding “comfort women” raised criticisms among different nations.

“To maintain discipline in the military, it must have been necessary at that time. For soldiers who risked their lives in circumstances were bullets are flying around like rain and wind, if you want them to get some rest, a comfort women system was necessary,” said Hashimoto.

An estimated count of 200,000 women, mostly from South Korea and China, were forced to serve as sex slaves to military brothels.

While some officials of the Japanese government, meanwhile, have greatly expressed “disappointment” with the mayor’s remarks, others have decided to decline to comment directly on the issue.

Japan’s Cabinet Minister Yoshihite Suga reiterated that the Japanese government’s stance on comfort women issue is clear: “They have suffered unspeakably painful experiences.”

China’s Foreign Ministry via Spokesman Hong Lei said that the comment of the politician is an evidence of Japan’s “rightward drift” in politics under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who advocated revising the 1993 apology of Japan for wartime atrocities.

“We are appalled and indignant about the Japanese politician’s comments boldly challenging humanity and historical justice,” Hong said.

China is one of the countries who suffered biological and chemical experiments under Japan in World War II.

“We hope Japan will face and contemplate their history of aggression and treat it correctly,” he added.

Heinous crimes

According to Ilagan, rape and sexual slavery are heinous crimes which cannot be considered as necessary acts.

“Hashimoto’s statement is like rubbing salt to the wounds left by the Second World War on women, not just in the Philippines, but in Korea, China, Taiwan, and Indonesia,” she added.

Gabriela has been supporting Lila Pilipina, an organization leading the call of Filipina comfort women for recognition, apology, and compensation from the Japanese government.

There have been resolutions filed in previous congresses to bolster the demands of Filipinas abused, molested, and systematically made into sex slaves by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II, but De Jesus claimed that the Philippine government has been a remiss in its duties in pursuing justice for the sex slaves.

“Pinababayaan ng pamahalaan ang mga lola sa kanilang paghahangad ng hustisya (“Our government has forsaken our lolas’ quest for justice”),” De Jesus said.