Deportation not an option, arrested Russian vlogger will serve sentence in PH | ABS-CBN

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Deportation not an option, arrested Russian vlogger will serve sentence in PH

Marilyn Cahatol,

ABS-CBN News

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Russian Vlogger Vitaly Zdorovetskiy is presented to members of the media during a briefing at the Quezon City Reception House on April 7, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News 

MANILA — Vitaly Zdorovetskiy, arrested in April for harassing Filipinos for content, will serve his sentence in a Philippine prison if convicted, Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said.

In a release, the Department of the Interior and Local Government said Zdorovetskiy will be facing a trial next week for three counts of unjust vexation.

If convicted, the controversial vlogger may serve up to 18 months in jail, he added.

“We will service his sentence, sinigurado ko po ‘yun (I will make sure of that.),” he said.

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Remulla explained that the arrested vlogger cannot be deported either to Russia, his home country, or the United States, where he is a green card holder.

Green card holders are non-citizens of the United States, but have lawful permanent residency in the country.

He said neither Russia nor the US want to receive him.

“So hindi namin alam kung saan siya papauwiin eh,” Remulla explained.

(We do not know where to deport him.)

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Remulla added that Zdorovetskiy had written to him, pleading for the charges to be dropped, citing mental health issues.

The vlogger was arrested after videos of him harassing a security guard and passers-by in the Bonifacio Global City development in Taguig City.

The  videos also prompted the Bureau of Immigration to tag him as an “undesirable” foreign national.

A Change.org petition also alleged the vlogger verbally assaulted a Filipino surfing instructor in Boracay with “vulgar, sexually degrading remarks” during a safety briefing.

Zdorovetskiy, who has a reputation for prank and nuisance videos, has been compared to American vlogger Ramsey Khalid Ismael — better known as Johnny Somali — who is on trial in South Korea over similar stunts.

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