In a telling line, she wrote, 'At two, the soldiers came. However, this was not the last time this would happen to her, as later on, she was abducted and sex trafficked by the military. I kept thinking, why did this happen to me? I was fourteen and had not yet begun to menstruate. It was a very painful experience… I was very sad.

I thought he would save me, but he grabbed me from the soldiers and raped me…When he was done, he passed me on to the two soldiers, who took turns raping me. (Note: the term “Lola” is a Filipino word used to refer to elderly women, particularly grandmothers, as a sign of respect.) This book recounts her experience as a young victim of the sexual crimes committed during the war - making her the first to share her story publicly.

Years later, Maria Rosa Luna Henson, more popularly known as “Lola Rosa,” published a book titled Comfort Woman: Slave of Destiny. However, the government did not enforce these regulations, and no record of strict supervision was documented. The Japanese government authorized these brothels under the policy titled “Rules of Use for Military Comfort Stations.” This rule ensured that acts of violence against comfort women were strictly prohibited. During their reign, military officials forced women into sexual slavery, referring to them as “comfort women.” These women worked in “comfort stations,” which military officials would visit after duty. On December 8, 1941, Japan invaded the Philippines.

Comfort Woman by Maria Rosa Henson