MANILA, Philippines – President Aquino was urged Friday to bring up the case of Filipino comfort women with the Japanese government during his visit to Yokohama where he is attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

Sen. Pia Cayetano appealed to the Aquino administration to support the cause of the comfort women following reports that the President is planning to ask Congress to appropriate funds for them in order to make up for the failure of past governments to undertake such reparation.

The term “comfort women” refers to the Filipino females who were forced to become sex slaves by the Japanese Imperial Army at the height of the World War II.

As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Youth, Women and Family Relations, she said she has taken up the cause of comfort women in the last three Congresses but lamented the government’s indifference towards their plight.

In the 13th and 14th Congress, Cayetano filed a resolution directing the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to exert utmost diplomatic efforts to push for the immediate passage of a measure filed before the House of Councilors of Japan (Diet of Japan) concerning issues related to victims of war-time sexual coercion.

She said she plans to re-file the resolution next week.

“These women who are now in the twilight of their lives have suffered in silence for decades, but still managed to gather the courage to come out and tell the whole world their story and demand justice for the dastardly acts committed against them,” Cayetano said.

“More than half a century has passed and many of them have passed away without receiving any apologies and compensation for the trauma they suffered,” she added.

“The government, however, has chosen to remain indifferent to their plight. It simply waited for the Japanese government to take the initiative of issuing an apology and providing compensation to the comfort women, which both never happened,” Cayetano said.

Aside from this, Cayetano has also re-filed a bill that seeks to provide compensation and health benefits to the comfort women.

She said she expects President Aquino to certify as urgent Senate Bill No. 2083 or the “Comfort Women Compensation and Benefit Act of 2010,” a measure which she has been re-filing since the 13th Congress.

 “This bill seeks to recognize the comfort women and alleviate their suffering through financial compensation and health insurance from our government,” she said.

Under the bill, the Philippine Commission on Women, formerly the National Commission on the Role of Filipino women, will be tasked with determining the authenticity of the claims and identities of comfort women, with the assistance of various accredited cause-oriented women’s groups.

The measure also seeks an initial fund of P10 million for the processing of applications and payment of pensions and insurance of the comfort women.

Beneficiaries would be entitled to a monthly compensation of P3,000 through the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO), free full  medical insurance through PhilHealth and counseling and guidance through the Department of Social Welfare and Development.