Russia has released 24 Filipinos who were detained for months in a Siberian city without charges. The release followed a meeting between Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Philippine officials said the freed Filipinos were set to return to Manila on two flights.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro, who joined Marcos in discussions with Putin, will welcome the first group. The discussions occurred during the ASEAN-Russia commemorative summit in Kazan, where Marcos met with Putin.
The release followed rapidly after Marcos expressed concern over the issue. The Philippines, a key treaty ally of the United States, voted for a U.N. resolution condemning Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Singapore was the only ASEAN member to impose sanctions on Russia; Prime Minister Lawrence Wong attended the summit.
During the meeting with Putin, Marcos addressed the plight of Filipinos detained for about nine months in Irkutsk, southeastern Siberia, without charges. Reports suggested they might be victims of illegal job recruitment and detained due to potential immigration law breaches.
Putin assured Marcos of investigating the matter, admitting he was initially unaware of the situation. He stated over dinner that the Filipinos hadn’t faced charges and pledged to resolve their predicament.
Subsequently, Russian officials informed the Philippine delegation about plans for immediate deportation of the detainees. Around 15,000 Filipinos reside in Russia, according to Philippine Ambassador Igor Bailen.