MANILA, Philippines — Russian content creator Vitaly Zdorovetskiy, who was arrested earlier this year for multiple public disturbance incidents, will serve his sentence in the Philippines, Interior Secretary Benhur “Jonvic” Remulla confirmed on Sunday, June 1.
According to Remulla, deportation is no longer an option after both Russia and the United States refused to accept Zdorovetskiy.
“Ang problema kasi namin, ang Russia, hindi siya tinatanggap, ang US naman, green card holder siya, hindi rin siya tinatanggap, so hindi namin alam kung saan siya papauwiin eh,” Remulla said.
(Our problem is, Russia won’t accept him and the US won’t accept him either because he’s a green card holder. So we don’t know where to send him.)
The 32-year-old vlogger, known for his prank videos, was taken into custody on April 3 following a Bureau of Immigration order declaring him an “undesirable alien.”
He is currently facing three charges of unjust vexation, with trial proceedings scheduled for next week. If found guilty, he could face imprisonment of up to one year.
“We will service his sentence, sinigurado ko po ‘yun,” Remulla added.
(We will service his sentence, I made sure of that.)
Remulla also revealed that Zdorovetskiy reached out through a written appeal, citing mental health issues as grounds to drop the charges. However, authorities decided to proceed with the legal process.
A Pattern of Public Disturbance
Zdorovetskiy’s arrest came after a string of disruptive incidents caught on video, including harassment of a security guard and an elderly woman in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. He was also seen stealing and later abandoning an electric fan from a restaurant and a tricycle.
Other complaints include posting false reviews about local businesses and leaping onto a moving jeepney, raising further concerns over his behavior.
The controversial influencer’s actions sparked public outrage and renewed discussions about the accountability of foreign nationals engaging in disruptive behavior under the guise of online content creation.
Despite the charges, Zdorovetskiy remains active online and continues to draw attention on social media platforms.
