AFP verifying reports some Filipinos being recruited for Ukraine-Russia conflict

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday said the military is verifying the reports that Filipinos were allegedly being recruited for the conflict in Ukraine against Russia.

“With this information, we are currently verifying the validity of these reports,” AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla said in a press briefing. 

“We have to note that there is a proliferation of disinformation in today's information environment. And so, it is essential for us to remain discerning, and of course, we have to be cautious in assessing these claims that are coming out,” she added.

The AFP noted that the Ukrainian and German embassies in Manila have already denied the claims. 

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has been quoted as saying that the United States has been hiring Filipinos "for participation in the hostilities on the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces."

Those who are hired are reportedly given Schengen visas at the German Embassy in Manila.

Padilla said the AFP is also coordinating with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) about the matter. —VAL, GMA Integrated News