MANILA, Philippines — Russian vlogger Vitaly Zdorovetskiy will serve his sentence in the Philippines after both Russia and the United States refused to accept him, Interior Secretary Benhur “Jonvic” Remulla announced on Sunday, June 1.
Zdorovetskiy, who was arrested on April 3 following a Bureau of Immigration mission order declaring him an “undesirable alien,” is facing three counts of unjust vexation stemming from a series of public disturbances in Taguig and other areas.
“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 take him, and the US won’t either because he’s a green card holder. We don’t know where we can send him.)
The vlogger reportedly wrote to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) requesting for the charges to be dropped due to mental health concerns. Despite this, Remulla said legal proceedings will move forward.
“We will service his sentence, sinigurado ko po ‘yun,” he added.
(We will serve his sentence, I made sure of that.)
Zdorovetskiy is set to stand trial next week, with potential penalties ranging from three months to one year in prison if convicted.
The charges stem from several incidents, including harassing a security guard and an elderly woman in Bonifacio Global City, stealing items such as an electric fan and a tricycle, jumping onto a moving jeepney, and allegedly posting fake reviews of local establishments.
His arrest and ongoing case have reignited calls for stricter enforcement of laws against foreign nationals engaging in inappropriate or disruptive behavior.
