PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday said Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the release of 24 Filipinos who have been detained in the Russian city of Irkutsk in Siberia since mid-2025 over immigration issues.
Marcos said he raised the issue during his bilateral meeting with Putin. The Russian leader agreed to facilitate their release, he said.
“After nine months in detention, 24 Filipinos in Russia will finally be on their way home to be reunited with their families,” Marcos said in a social media post.
The Filipinos had been victimized by illegal recruitment agencies that facilitated their entry to Russia.
In a press briefing with the Philippine media in Kazan, Marcos said Putin was surprised upon being informed of the plight of the detained Filipinos.
“He told me, ‘We found out where the 24 Filipinos are. We found out what the problem was with their case — with their situation. First of all, they have not been charged with any wrongdoing. But they have still been kept in detention for nine months,’” Marcos said.
The president’s announcement came on the final day of his trip to Russia for the Asean-Russia Commemorative Summit.
While in Russia, he and Putin discussed a wide range of topics, including food security, energy cooperation, trade and investment.
Marcos invited Putin to attend the 21st East Asia Summit, scheduled in Manila in November.
Putin said there is “good potential” for cooperation in the fields of agriculture and energy between the two countries.
