Twenty-four Filipino nationals who have been held in detention in Irkutsk, Russia, for the past nine months have been released and are scheduled to return home to the Philippines.
The breakthrough came after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. directly raised the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit in Kazan.
Speaking to the Philippine media, President Marcos revealed that the Filipinos had been detained for nearly a year without formal charges, leaving their families in limbo.
“I don’t know if people are aware of this, but 24 Filipinos have been in detention in Irkutsk for nine months now,” President Marcos said. “We had no news. We didn’t know what their condition was. As far as we know, they haven’t been charged.”
Upon bringing the matter to light during the bilateral talks, President Putin indicated he had not been previously apprised of the situation but promised immediate action to review the case. Later that evening, during an official dinner with fellow world leaders, the Russian President approached President Marcos with a definitive update.
“He told me, ‘We found out where the 24 Filipinos are. We found out what the problem is with their case, with their situation,'” President Marcos shared.
While emphasizing the Philippines’ absolute respect for Russian laws and judicial processes, President Marcos appealed to the Russian leader on humanitarian grounds, particularly for the sake of the detainees’ anxious families.
Following the diplomatic intervention, Russian authorities swiftly resolved the issue. The 24 Filipinos have been cleared for release and are scheduled for deportation on Friday at 5:00 PM, marking their journey back to the Philippines.
“Those 24 will be going home, back to the Philippines, and back to their families,” President Marcos concluded.
