MANILA - The Philippine government continues to monitor the Filipinos in Russia, specifically the 11 living in Rostov-on Don even after the aborted “armed mutiny” of the paramilitary group Wagner there.
“Mga 11 na mga kababayan natin ang nandoon and so far, ang ating embassy in Russia ay continuous iyong monitoring nila, nakikipag-Zoom sila with them to make sure na okay pa iyong mga kalagayan nila (Around 11 Filipinos are working there [Rostov-on Don] and our Embassy is continuously monitoring and meeting them virtually to make sure that they are well),” Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Paul Raymund Cortes said in a Laging Handa briefing on Wednesday.
He noted that the conditions of the 11 Filipinos are okay thus far, but the DFA continues to advise them to be more vigilant even as the crisis has relatively subsided.
Cortes added that even if there are still no requests for repatriation, the Philippine embassy is ready with its contingency plans to make sure that if the need for repatriation arises, “we are ready both financially, logistically and of course mentally.”
Cortes said there are around 10,000 Filipinos across Russia, with at least 8,000 in the Moscow area, and 2,000 in St. Petersburg.
The Russian paramilitary Wagner Group headed by Yevgeny Prigozhin seized the city of Rostov and began an armed march towards Moscow on June 24 as he demanded a change to Russia’s military leadership.
On June 25, Reuters reported that the group withdrew from Rostov in return for guarantees for their safety, with Prigozhin moving to Belarus under a deal mediated by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. (PNA)
