Filipinos in Russia safe, in good condition after armed rebellion –DFA

Filipinos in Russia are safe and in good condition following the armed rebellion staged by a private mercenary group over the weekend, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said Monday.

Interviewed on GMA Integrated News’ Unang Balita, De Vega said there are around 10,000 Filipinos in Russia and 9,000 of them are in Moscow, which the mercenary group Wagner did not enter.

“Ang pinasukan ng Wagner group [ay] 'yung Rostov, ang city na 1,000 kilometers away. And kinontak ng ating embahada sa Moscow ang bawat isa sa kanila (Pilipino). Mga 11 sila doon,” he said.

(The Wagner group entered Rostov, which is 1,000 kilometers away. And the embassy in Moscow contacted the Filipinos there. There are 11 Filipinos there.)

“Mabuting kalagayan naman sila at saka natapos na 'tong mini-rebellion kaya medyo bumabalik na sa normal yung sitwasyon sa Russia,” he added.

(They are in good condition and the mini-rebellion has already ended so the situation in Russia is getting back to normal.)

Nonetheless, De Vega said authorities remain vigilant in light of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

So far, De Vega said no Filipinos in Russia, including those in Rostov, have expressed interest in leaving the country or being evacuated.

“Pati yung mga tao sa Rostov sabi nila, noong kinakausap sila ng embassy, safe naman sila kahit na may mga tangke doon sa city,” he said.

(Even the people in Rostov, when the embassy talked to them, said they are safe despite the presence of tanks in the city.)

For her part, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Susan "Toots" Ople said Monday that the Philippine government is closely monitoring the situation in Russia to guarantee the welfare of Filipinos amid the mutiny.

"We are closely monitoring the situation and in close coordination with the DFA," Ople told reporters at the sidelines of an event in Pasay City.

The Philippine Embassy over the weekend asked Filipinos in Russia to remain vigilant and take precautions, and cautioned them against putting out political opinions on social media.

This was after Wagner group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said he had already taken control of Rustov-on-Don as part of an attempt to oust the military leadership.

The group that advanced most of the way to Moscow turned back on Saturday, de-escalating a major challenge to President Vladimir Putin's grip on power, in a move Prigozhin said would avoid bloodshed, Reuters reported.

A separate report by Reuters on Monday said the Russian mercenaries have already withdrawn from Rostov under a deal that halted their rapid advance on Moscow. Prigozhin, meanwhile, will move to Belarus under the deal mediated by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Putin has not commented publicly since the deal was struck to de-escalate one of the biggest challenges since he rose to power more than two decades ago.—with Anna Felicia Bajo/KBK, GMA Integrated News