Russia has released 24 Filipinos who had been detained for months without charges in the Siberian city of Irkutsk, Philippine officials said on Saturday, shortly after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr raised the matter during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The detainees are expected to arrive in Manila on two flights early Sunday, with Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro set to receive the first group. Their release came days after Marcos met Putin on the sidelines of events marking the 35th anniversary of ASEAN-Russia diplomatic relations in Kazan.

Marcos Raised Case During Meeting With Putin

Marcos, who currently holds the rotating presidency of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), travelled to Kazan for commemorative events and held a bilateral meeting with Putin on the sidelines.

Following the meeting, Marcos told reporters that he had expressed concern over the fate of the 24 Filipinos, who had been held in Irkutsk in southeastern Siberia for around nine months without charges.

Philippine officials said there were indications that the individuals may have fallen victim to illegal recruitment schemes and had been detained over possible immigration violations.

According to Marcos, Putin initially said he was unaware of the case but promised to look into the matter.

The Philippine President later revealed that during a dinner on Wednesday, Putin informed him that the Filipinos had not been charged with any offence.

“Don’t worry, we will find a way to fix this problem,” Marcos quoted Putin as saying.

Marcos said the Philippine delegation was subsequently informed by Russian authorities that the detainees would be immediately deported to Manila.

Return Ends Months of Uncertainty

The release of the 24 Filipinos came soon after Marcos personally intervened with the Russian President, bringing an end to months of uncertainty surrounding the case.

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro, who accompanied Marcos during the visit to Russia, would receive the first batch of returnees.

Philippine Ambassador to Moscow Igor Bailen said around 15,000 Filipinos currently live and work across Russia.

Officials have not provided further details about the circumstances that led to the detention of the 24 citizens.

Philippines Maintains Ties With US While Engaging Russia

The Philippines remains one of the United States’ key treaty allies in Asia and was among the majority of ASEAN members that voted in favour of a United Nations General Assembly resolution condemning Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Singapore was the only ASEAN member to impose sanctions on Russia, and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong also attended the summit in Kazan.

Marcos’ visit to Russia came as ASEAN and Moscow marked 35 years of diplomatic relations.

The return of the detainees underscored the role of diplomatic engagement in resolving the issue and followed direct intervention by the Philippine President with his Russian counterpart.

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