The Department of Migrant Workers is investigating the recruitment of 24 overseas Filipino workers who were detained in Russia before being repatriated to the Philippines.
DMW Undersecretary Bernard Olalia said initial findings indicate the workers were victims of illegal recruitment, prompting the agency to pursue charges against those responsible.
Olalia said the workers were enticed by promises of high-paying jobs as cleaners in Russia, where demand for labor reportedly increased amid the country’s ongoing war with Ukraine.
He said no licensed recruitment agency was involved in sending the workers abroad. Instead, the group was allegedly recruited by a Filipino who had previously worked in Russia and had contacts with a local cleaning company.
According to the DMW, 23 of the repatriated workers have since reunited with their families.
The remaining individual, who allegedly recruited the workers, remains in government custody and is expected to face charges related to illegal recruitment.
The 24 Filipinos returned to the Philippines after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. raised their case with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a bilateral meeting, leading to their release and repatriation.
