YouTuber Vitaly to be deported to Russia
YouTuber Vitaly Zdorovetskiy will be deported to Russia, the Bureau of Immigration confirmed.
In a press conference on Jan. 15, BI legal division chief Arvin Santos said that the agency's board of commissioners has issued deportation orders against the vlogger.
"Nakalagay po doon sa ating deportation order na ang pag pa-deport sa kanya ay subject to clearances ng [National Bureau of Investigation] at saka ng courts kung saan siya nagkaroon ng kaso," he said.
Santos added that Vitaly's criminal cases, including unjust vexation, before the Regional Trial Court branch 153 and the Metropolitan Trial Court in Taguig City are now resolved, and his penalty has been deemed served.
Meanwhile, Department of the Interior and Local Government Sec. Jonvic Remulla explained that Vitaly will be deported to Russia based on his passport of origin. The vlogger resides in the US and holds a green card.
"Let this be a reminder to all our visitors here in the Philippines. We always welcome tourists and visitors. We treat them with respect, and we expect them to follow the same rules as we follow the same rules when we travel," he said.
"We have no ill feelings against Vitaly. He has served his time, he has shown remorse, he is now a free man when he goes back to Russia."
On April 2, Vitaly was caught by Filipino authorities in front of a Pasay hotel based on a BI mission order.
This was after he was seen messing around with Filipinos in Bonifacio Global City by riding a patrol motorcycle, stealing a security guard’s cap multiple times, and playing petty pranks with passersby in his Kick video titled "Vitaly disturbing the peace in the Philippines" with a devil emoji. He also forcibly filmed a security guard who called him out for it. Vitaly then mocked the latter by singing some lines from Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi.
Among other stunts he pulled was stealing a heavy-duty electric fan from a restaurant and bringing it inside a hotel. Vitaly also drove a tricycle but eventually sideswiped a passenger and slightly crashed into a parked jeepney.
