MANILA, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- These are the faces of Filipino "comfort women" survivors, or in Tagalog, "Lolas," meaning grandmothers.
Traumatized and ashamed of being forced into sexual slavery by Japanese troops during World War II, these women kept silent most of their lives and only began demanding justice in the 1990s. But even today, the justice they've been fighting for is still not served.
The Japanese government refuses to recognize the "comfort women" issue, and ignores all demands from the victims and their families.
Today, the Lolas are in their 90s, and many of them are sickly and poor. Lots of them passed away without receiving any compensation from the Japanese government, not even an apology.
The number of alive victims right now is kept secret by Lila Pilipina, a non-profit organization which helps Lolas seek justice. It fears that a declining number of survivors may embolden the Japanese government to care even less about the issue.
Despite all that, the fight for justice continues, led by both surviving victims and their families.
Estelita Dy is one of them.
In 1944, 14-year-old Estelita was kidnapped by the Japanese soldiers while selling vegetables, eggs, and chickens at a market in Bacolod City in the central Philippines.
Nearly eight decades have passed, the traumatic ordeal the 92-year-old suffered continues to haunt her like a recurring nightmare.
After the war, Estelita decided to leave her hometown for Metro Manila, fearing that people would know about her ordeal if she stayed in the village. While in Manila, she was married and had six children but kept silent about her past trauma of being raped. It was not until 1993 that she finally mastered the courage to come out in the open to tell her wartime ordeal.
Despite her poverty and frail health, Estelita has tirelessly joined fora and protest rallies with other Lolas to demand a formal apology and compensation from the Japanese government.
Their efforts paid off with a landmark progress in 2017 when a memorial statue of "comfort women" was inaugurated on the banks of Manila Bay.
But such progress quickly vanished when the statue was removed merely four months later under Tokyo's constant diplomatic pressure. Another "comfort women" memorial statue in Laguna province was also removed just three days after its installation due to pressure from the Japanese government.
There seems to be no end in sight in the Lolas' quest for justice. Despite people's help and the media coverage, roadblocks set up by the Japanese government have dealt one blow after another to the already fading group. But for the Lolas, this is far from over.
Estelita says she will not stop fighting even if she dies, as her children and grandchildren will carry on with the mission, and so will many others who have dedicated themselves to this cause.
Produced by Xinhua Global Service
