President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said 24 Filipinos held in Irkutsk, Russia, for nine months will be repatriated after he raised their case with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The detainees, described as victims of illegal recruitment schemes with no charges filed against them, are scheduled for deportation. Marcos made the announcement on Friday after a bilateral meeting with Putin on Wednesday during a summit in Kazan.
Marcos quoted Putin as saying he was unaware of the situation and would examine it. The president thanked Russia for its cooperation in resolving the matter.
The two leaders also discussed energy cooperation. Marcos noted an understanding to continue developing ad hoc petroleum supplies from Russia but said no firm agreements have been reached yet.
