Vitaly says he will 'expose corruption' in PH; BI dismisses claims as 'rage-baits'

Vitaly Zdorovetskiy claimed he had a phone throughout his time in detention in the Philippines, adding that he will "expose the corruption" soon.

The deported content creator, who was arrested last year for harassing and disrespecting Filipinos for content, detailed his experience in his recent livestreamed interview with social media personality Adin Ross.

“I had a phone the whole time in jail. I vlogged the whole experience. I’m gonna expose the corruption. Everything,” he said.

According to him, he simply paid the guards and did not struggle at all to obtain a Chinese-branded mobile phone. 

"Bro, bro, bro, you can do anything. Money talks in the Philippines," he said.

Vitaly alleged that he was in inhumane conditions during his PH detention, without toilet paper and using only buckets of water for showers.

"35 degrees Celsius, no ventilation, rats, cockroaches, and just sweating f---ing tits all day," he continued.

Vitaly added he feels fortunate enough to finally be free, considering his co-detainees were allegedly imprisoned longer for lighter charges.

"I got lucky that I got out. There's people there for 10 years for overstaying their visas, like a month, a year... Make that make sense," he said.

Reacting to Vitaly's claims, the Bureau of Immigration stressed in a statement that an investigation was conducted regarding his access to a phone. 

“The incident occurred around June or July. We immediately conducted raids inside the facility, which resulted in the confiscation of gadgets that had been smuggled into the compound,” BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said. “By November, personnel found to be remiss in their duties were identified and removed from their posts."

"Zdorovetskiy, who we consider an undesirable alien, continues to post rage-bait content to generate income from Filipinos online," Viado said. "Regardless of these posts, he remains permanently barred from returning to the Philippines due to his violations."

Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla told ABS-CBN News that "if he shows that he was the corrupter in the facility, then we can charge him and have him extradited back."

The 33-year-old vlogger, known for his YouTube channel Vitalyzed TV, was arrested in Pasay City in June last year and was deported to Russia on Jan. 17.

He was apprehended for harassing and disrespecting Filipinos in Bonifacio Global City for online content. In a viral vlog, he can be seen harassing a security guard in Bonifacio Global City, cursing at a masked Filipino woman, stealing an electric fan, and stowing away on a tricycle that soon crashed. 

Vitaly had been arrested multiple times for his publicity stunts. In 2016, he was nabbed for illegally climbing the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles. In 2020, he was jailed for climbing one of the Pyramids of Giza, and in April of the same year, he was charged with aggravated battery for assaulting a woman who was jogging in Miami.