24 Pinoys detained in Russia arrive in PH

Twenty-four overseas Filipino workers who were detained in Russia for nine months arrived back in Manila in two batches, Saturday night and early Sunday.

They were welcomed by Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and other DFA personnel.

From Krasnoyarsk, Russia, the Filipinos traveled to Bangkok, Thailand, before boarding a flight to the Philippines.

The first six Filipinos arrived at 11:40 p.m. on Saturday, while another 18 arrived at 4 a.m. on Sunday.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Thursday said Russian President Vladimir Putin has authorized the release of 24 Filipinos detained in the city of Irkutsk in Siberia for the past nine months.

Marcos announced the development in a Kapihan press briefing with the Philippine media in Kazan, Russia after the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit.

The Filipinos were reportedly detained over immigration issues after they were victimized by illegal recruiters.

According to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), the detained Filipinos had incomplete documents when they worked as cleaners in Russia.

“Wala silang mga papeles bilang trabahante o workers sa Russia, so umabot sa punto ng immigration cases sa kanila, humantong sa deportation,” DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said, according to a report by GMA News reporter Gabriel Gonzales.

(They had no proper employment papers in Russia, which led to immigration cases being filed against them and eventually resulted in their deportation.)

DMW will also conduct an investigation, in coordination with the Department of Justice (DOJ), to determine whether they were victims of human trafficking and to identify their illegal recruiters.

“Kung mayroong kailangang masugpo rito na illegal recruitment o human trafficking activity ay agaran natin bibigyan ng lunas ito. Makikipag-ugnayan tayo kay Secretary Vida sa DOJ at sa law enforcement,” Cacdac said.

(If there are illegal recruitment or human trafficking activities that need to be addressed, we will immediately take action. We will coordinate with DOJ Secretary Fredderick Vida and the law enforcement.)

Meanwhile, for the DFA, the repatriation of the detained Filipinos is an important act of goodwill by the Russian government to the Philippines.

“This is I think first of a kind na nailabas, na lumabas from Russia. Noong hiningi ni Pangulong Marcos, ibinigay kaagad. So that’s a very important act of goodwill also ni President Putin,” DFA Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said.

(This, I think, is the first of its kind to be released from Russia. When President Marcos requested it, it was immediately granted. So that is also a very important act of goodwill by President Putin.)

Marcos said he brought the issue to Putin’s attention during their bilateral meeting earlier this week, who immediately acted on the issue and told him that the 24 Filipinos will be released and ready for deportation by Friday.

Marcos thanked Putin for his positive response, and Russian authorities for their cooperation, the DFA said.

The Presidential Communications Office said on Saturday that the 24 Filipinos were freed and departed from Krasnoyarsk, Russia for a connecting flight via Bangkok, then from there, were set to board two separate flights to Manila.

The DFA said it coordinated with Russian authorities regarding the Filipinos' repatriation.

It added that the Department of Migrant Workers and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration provided assistance throughout the repatriation process. —with a report from Mariel Celine Serquiña/KG, GMA News