4 other Filipinos served as mercenaries for Russia—DFA

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday said four other Filipinos who had served as mercenaries for Russia are now being held as prisoners of war in Ukraine.

According to a report by Dano Tincungco on 24 Oras, the DFA is currently handling five requests for assistance, including the case of Raymon Gumangan, but declined to disclose further details.

“In addition to that, there is the case of Mr. Raymon Gumangan, who is a confirmed prisoner of war in Ukraine. Recently, it was also confirmed that one Filipino has died," DFA spokesperson Angelica Escalona said.

"The DFA has already spoken with the family, but we will not be able to share details at the request of the family,” she added.

Escalona said that the department is receiving varying accounts about how the Filipinos were recruited.

“We can’t really share the details, but we are hearing different stories. What we are saying is that everyone should be careful regarding overseas employment offers,” she said.

Sen. Erwin Tulfo, who chairs the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, earlier appealed for Gumangan’s release.

The DFA, however, noted that the process is complicated because the Philippines is not a party to the conflict.

“Any release or repatriation of a prisoner of war is subject to agreements between parties to the conflict. Nevertheless, we are exploring all avenues to assist him,” Escalona said.

The DFA said it has already brought Gumangan’s situation to the attention of both Ukrainian and Russian authorities.

The department also reiterated its warning to Filipinos to be cautious about job offers found online.

“Again, we need to be very careful about online employment offers. Legally, we have a deployment ban in Ukraine. In Russia, there is no deployment ban,” Escalona said.

Tulfo has met with Ukrainian Ambassador to the Philippines Yuliia Fediv to discuss Gumangan’s case.

The envoy has committed to help facilitate communication between Gumangan and his family in the Philippines, the report said.

Tulfo also plans to coordinate with the DFA and the Department of Migrant Workers to craft an agreement addressing the situation of Filipinos in conflict zones.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian envoy said preparations are ongoing for a proposed joint labor agreement between the Philippines and Ukraine.—Vince Angelo Ferreras/MCG, GMA Integrated News