Jamaine Punzalan

Russian Vlogger Vitaly Zdororvetskiy 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

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RUSSIAN VLOGGER VITALY ARREST

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176940264351120250407-dilg-zdororvetskiy-arrest-JC2577.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Russian Vlogger Vitaly Zdororvetskiy 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</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The warden of the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) detention facilities has resigned from his post while his 2 deputies and 3 other personnel were sacked from office following a Russian vlogger’s claim that he shot videos for his vlog while in detention in the Philippines, Malacañang said on Monday, noting that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered an investigation into the issue.</p><p>The announcement comes days after vlogger Vitaly Zdorovetskiy claimed that he would soon release a vlog exposing corrupt practices inside the BI’s detention facility for foreigners, where he stayed following several harassment complaints in April 2025.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/21/vlogger-vitaly-zdorovetskiy-says-philippine-detention-built-me-1107">Vlogger Vitaly Zdorovetskiy says after Philippine detention: ‘They really tried to break me but it built me’</a></div><p>“Ang paggawa ng Russian vlogger ay hindi naaayon sa rules, hindi awtorisado ng nasabing facility… Inutos ng Pangulo na magkaroon ng malalimang pag-iimbestiga dito,” Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said. </p><p>“Nakausap po mismo natin ang pamunuan ng BI at sinabi nila na ang pagbibigay at pag gamit ng cellphone ay para makausap lang ang kanilang pamilya,” she told Palace reporters.</p><p>Despite this, authorities are waiting for the details of Zdorovetskiy’s supposed exposé, Castro said. </p><p>“Even before yung Russian vlogger na yan walang ginawa kung hindi manira sa ating bansa kaya nga po siya napakulong,” she said.</p><p>“Ano pa po ba ang aasahan natin sa kaniya na gusto lang gumawa ng kuwento for the views but still, kung ano man ang nasabi diyan at maibubunyag niya, dapat po nating malaman para magkaroon ng tamang pag-iimbestiga,” she said.</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:560px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:493px;height:274px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2015643234522005826&amp;lang=en&amp;maxWidth=560px&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2026-01-26T04%3A42%3A51.006515%3A0f65f1ea-c2e3-47dc-b9d2-0b0b8feb598a%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=89cf2214d6e4c8afd74020f4989116c043f90ac7&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="2015643234522005826"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>Zdorovetskiy, who was <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/17/vlogger-vitaly-zdorovetskiy-deported-to-russia-2010">deported</a> to his home country earlier this month, said in a YouTube livestream that he &quot;had the phone the whole time in jail&quot; by &quot;paying the guard.&quot;</p><p>&quot;I vlogged the whole experience and I&#x27;m gonna expose the corruption. Everything… It&#x27;s corruption. I paid the guard. You&#x27;re good to go,&quot; the Russian vlogger said.</p><p>&quot;Bro, you can do anything. Money talks in the Philippines,&quot; he added. </p><p>Authorities will file cases against the warden and the sacked employees should there be sufficient evidence against them, the PCO undersecretary said.</p><p>But when asked if Malacañang saw a need to change key officials in the BI following the controversy, Castro said: “Depende po.” </p><p>“Kailangan maimbestigahan kung sino ba at kanino ba nagsimula ang mga ganitong klaseng mga pang-aabuso,” she said.</p><p>Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla earlier said that <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/24/remulla-responds-to-russian-vlogger-s-claim-of-corruption-while-detained-in-ph-1511">Zdorovetskiy could be charged and extradited</a> after his claims of corruption during his detention in the Philippines.</p><p>&quot;If he shows that he was the corrupter in the facility, then we can charge him and have him extradited back,&quot; Remulla said.</p><p>Initial investigations from the BI showed that Zdorovetskiy’s mobile phone was confiscated around June or July, and “resulted in the confiscation of gadgets that had been smuggled into the compound.&quot;</p><p>Malik Dejoun Okojie — another foreign national who appeared with Zdorovetskiy in the video — “had smuggled mobile phones concealed in supplies brought in by his Filipina wife,” Immigration officials said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/21/bi-arrests-viral-russian-national-who-said-he-will-spread-hiv-in-ph-1907">BI arrests viral Russian national who said he will spread HIV in PH</a></div><div><br style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"/></div>

<p>A Russian vlogger’s looming corruption exposé has led to the resignation of an Immigration detention facility warden and the sacking of 5 personnel, Malacañang said Monday.</p>

A Russian vlogger’s looming corruption exposé has led to the resignation of an Immigration detention facility warden and the sacking of 5 personnel, Malacañang said Monday.

Immigration warden resigns, 5 officials sacked over Russian vlogger’s corruption claims - Palace

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Immigration warden resigns, 5 officials sacked over Russian vlogger’s corruption claims - Palace

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 26, 2026 12:45 PM PHT

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Updated January 26, 2026 01:13 PM PHT

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Vitaly

vlogger

corruption

Immigration

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