Russia has released 24 Filipinos detained without charges in Siberia after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. raised their situation during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kazan. The freed Filipinos are set to arrive in Manila via two flights early Sunday, welcomed by Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro.
Marcos, currently chairing the ASEAN presidency, attended an ASEAN summit commemorating the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between ASEAN and Russia. During a side meeting with Putin, Marcos expressed concern over the detained Filipinos, who had been held in Irkutsk for about nine months without charges or information on their condition.
Reports suggested these Filipinos might be victims of illegal job recruitment and immigration law violations. Putin reportedly stated he was unaware of the issue but promised to investigate it. Upon returning from the summit, Marcos informed reporters that Russian officials assured immediate deportation back to Manila once the matter was resolved.