Palace mum on Noda’s conveying of Japan’s regret over comfort woman statue

January 10, 2018

Malacanang was mum on the reported conveying of regrets by the Japanese government over the construction of a statue of comfort woman in Manila. In text messages to the Daily Manila Shimbun, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque refused to confirm reports Japanese Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Seiko Noda expressed Japan's disappointment regarding the statue during her courtesy call on President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday in Malacanang. He said Malacanang issued an official press release on the courtesy call. "There's a presser and that's it," he said. In a press release issued by the Presidential News Desk Monday night, it just mentioned Noda paid a courtesy call on Duterte and the Japanese official "expressed gratitude to Duterte for taking time to meet her despite the President’s busy schedule." It also mentioned who were the Japanese and Filipino officials present in the courtesy call. "That's the Palace release. Everything else forms part of diplomatic communication which is privileged," Roque said. "The Palace has an official press release and I stand by that release," added Roque, a former lawyer of a Filipino comfort women group in the country, when further pressed to comment considering there were media reports quoting Japanese side on the matter. Late last year, the Tulay Foundation, a Chinese-Filipino civic group, unveiled a statue depicting a comfort woman during the Japanese occupation in the Philippines in front of a hotel in Manila. Japan expressed disappointment over it. Celerina Monte/DMS