SEN. Erwin Tulfo has asked Ukraine to allow a Filipino prisoner of war to communicate with his family in the Philippines, even if only via telephone.
Tulfo made the appeal through the Ambassador of Ukraine to Manila Yuliia Fediv, when she paid him a courtesy call last week. Tulfo, chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, urged Fediv to allow Raymon Santos Gumangan to call his family in the country. Gumangan was reportedly captured by Ukrainian forces while serving under the Russian military. Gumangan’s family said he had originally secured employment as a “logistics truck driver” through an online job portal. Fediv committed to facilitating a way for Gumangan to reach his family. She also assured Tulfo that Gumangan is being treated humanely in accordance with the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday cautioned Filipinos against accepting overseas jobs that recruit them into foreign armed forces. The DFA issued the advisory amid reports that some Filipinos had been recruited by the Russian military to fight in the war against Ukraine. The department said the recruitment was sometimes done “under the guise of regular civilian employment in other sectors.”
“Participation in foreign armed conflicts exposes Filipinos to grave danger and serious legal consequences,” the DFA said in a statement.
It also could violate Philippine laws and lead to loss of citizenship, it said.
“Filipinos seeking overseas employment are strongly encouraged to verify job offers, recruitment agencies, and employers with the Department of Migrant Workers,” the DFA said.
Filipinos seeking work abroad should “remain vigilant against illegal or deceptive recruitment practices that may put their lives and welfare at serious risk,” it said.
The DFA also said it was still verifying a report that a Filipino “mercenary” died in Ukraine.
The Kyiv Post reported that Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR) said its operatives identified the body of John Patrick, a citizen of the Philippines, among the Russian troops killed near the village of Novoselivka in the Kramatorsk district.
The HUR said the Filipino reportedly recruited by Russia was wounded in a “meat assault” against Ukraine and left to die slowly after one week of training.