Russia has freed 24 Filipinos who had been detained for months without charges in the Siberian city of Irkutsk, following a direct appeal by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Philippine officials confirmed the release on Saturday, stating that the individuals were scheduled to arrive in Manila on two flights early Sunday.
Diplomatic intervention leads to swift release
The first batch of returnees will be welcomed by Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro, who accompanied Marcos during his talks with Putin on Wednesday in the Russian city of Kazan. The release came relatively quickly after Marcos raised the issue during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit.
Marcos, who currently holds the rotating presidency of ASEAN, led leaders of the 11-nation bloc in commemorating the 35th anniversary of ASEAN's diplomatic relations with Russia. The Philippine president held a one-on-one meeting with Putin, during which he highlighted the plight of the 24 Filipinos who had been detained for approximately nine months without formal charges.
Detainees' conditions and circumstances
The Filipinos were held in Irkutsk, a city in southeastern Siberia. Philippine officials reported that there was no information about their condition during detention. According to Philippine authorities, the detainees may have been victims of illegal job recruitment and were taken into custody due to possible violations of immigration laws.
During the meeting, Putin told Marcos that he was unaware of the problem but promised to investigate. Later that evening at dinner, Putin informed Marcos that the Filipinos had been charged with any wrongdoing, though Marcos did not specify the nature of those charges. "Don't worry, we will find a way to fix this problem," Marcos quoted Putin as saying. Subsequently, Russian officials notified the Philippine delegation that the detainees would be immediately deported back to Manila.
Broader context of Philippines-Russia relations
The Philippines is a key treaty ally of the United States in Asia and was among the majority of ASEAN members that voted for a United Nations General Assembly resolution condemning Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Singapore was the only ASEAN member to impose sanctions on Russia, and its Prime Minister Lawrence Wong also attended the Kazan summit.
According to Philippine Ambassador to Moscow Igor Bailen, approximately 15,000 Filipinos live and work across Russia. The release of the 24 detainees marks a positive outcome from the high-level diplomatic engagement between the two countries.
