Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved the release of 24 Filipinos who were detained in Irkutsk, Siberia for around nine months over immigration-related issues, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said.
In a Kapihan with the Media interview before departing Russia for Manila, Marcos said he raised the situation of the 24 Filipinos during his bilateral meeting with Putin on Wednesday afternoon.
He said the Russian president initially told him he was not aware of the case but would look into it.
Marcos added that by dinner time, Putin informed him that the 24 Filipinos had been located. The group had not been charged but had remained in detention for about nine months.
The President said the Russian leader later assured him that action would be taken on the matter.
“Don’t worry, we will find a way. We will find a way to fix this problem,” Marcos quoted Putin as saying, which led to the approval of the Filipinos’ release by Friday.
Marcos said the affected Filipinos were expected to be ready for deportation by 5 p.m. on Friday.
“So, those 24 will be going home back to the Philippines, and back to their families,” he added.
Data from the Department of Foreign Affairs showed there are around 15,000 Filipinos currently in Russia.
The President visited Kazan, Russia, from June 17 to 18 to co-chair the 35th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)–Russia Commemorative Summit with Putin. He also held a bilateral meeting with the Russian leader on the sidelines of the event.