Russian President Vladimir Putin has authorized the release of 24 Filipinos who have been detained in Irkutsk, Siberia for the past nine months, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced.
Marcos disclosed the development during a Kapihan briefing with Philippine media in Kazan following the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit.
According to the President, the Filipinos were detained over immigration-related issues after allegedly falling victim to illegal recruiters.
Marcos said he raised the matter during his bilateral meeting with Putin earlier this week. The Russian leader, he said, immediately acted on the issue and later informed him that the 24 Filipinos would be released and prepared for deportation by Friday.
“During dinner last night, he told me, ‘We have already looked into the situation. We found where the 24 Filipinos are and determined the problem concerning their case and their situation.’ First of all, he said they have not been charged with any wrongdoing, but they have remained in detention for nine months,” Marcos said.
The President recalled that Putin assured him that Russian authorities would find a solution to the issue.
“Don’t worry, we will find a way. We will find a way to fix this problem,” Marcos quoted Putin as saying.
Marcos added that the Filipinos were expected to be deported by 5 p.m. Friday and would soon be reunited with their families in the Philippines.
“The 24 will be going back to the Philippines, back to their families,” he said.
The President said Philippine authorities had limited information on the condition of the detained Filipinos, except that none of them had been charged with any offense.
Marcos said Putin was initially unaware of the case when he brought it up during their bilateral talks.
“He was also surprised. He told me, ‘I did not know about this. We will study the matter and look into what happened,’” Marcos said.
Speaking on behalf of the families of the detainees, Marcos said he appealed for information about their condition and sought a resolution to the issue while respecting Russian laws and authorities.
“Of course, we respect the laws of Russia and its government. But if there is a way, we hope a solution can be found,” he said.
