Russia frees 24 Filipinos after Marcos speaks with Putin
The Philippine leader raised the issue with the Russian president during their meeting on the sidelines of a summit in Kazan
The 24 arrived in Manila aboard two flights early on Sunday, and the first batch was welcomed by Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro, who accompanied Marcos in his talks with Putin on Wednesday in the Russian city of Kazan, the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac welcomed the final batch of freed workers before dawn. His agency provided unspecified aid to the workers, who were detained in a Russian region known for its extreme winter temperatures.
The release of the Filipinos was relatively swift after Marcos raised his concern on Wednesday. The Philippines is a key treaty ally of the United States in Asia and was among the majority of Asean members that voted for a UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Singapore was the only Asean member to impose sanctions on Russia. Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong joined the Kazan summit.