Russian YouTuber Vitaly Zdorovetskiy has not shown any signs of remorse despite being arrested after receiving flak on social media for harassing Filipinos in Bonifacio Global City (BGC).
Photo: Vitaly/Kick
Bureau of Immigration (BI) spokesperson Dana Sandoval told TeleRadyo Serbisyo that Vitaly looked “very smug” and has not been remorseful after he made viral content out of his disruptive activities.
“Walang ka-remorse-remorse. Kung makita n’yo po yung pictures saka video, talagang nako, doon sa picture po very smug pa ang itsura niya sa mugshot niya (Not a hint of remorse. If you see the pictures and videos, his expression in the mugshot looks so smug),” said the spokesperson.
“Yung video niya po habang binabasahan siya ng Miranda rights, nagki-kiss pa siya, nagpa-flying kiss pa siya sa camera na nakatutok sa kaniya. Parang nae-enjoy niya po yung limelight na dulot ng kaniyang kaguluhan (In the video of him while his Miranda rights were being read, he was even blowing kisses to the camera pointed at him. It’s as if he was enjoying the limelight brought by his own chaos),” she added.
When asked about the next steps the Bureau of Immigration would take, the spokesperson said that if he has a local case in the country, it will proceed alongside his deportation case.
“Kung sakali pong magkaroon siya ng local case at siya po ay hatulan ng pagkakabilanggo dito sa Pilipinas, kailangan muna niya pong hintayin ‘yun…at mabilanggo siya dito sa Pilipinas bago natin ma-implement ang deportation (If he happens to have a local case and is sentenced to imprisonment here in the Philippines, he must first serve his sentence before we can implement the deportation),” she noted.
Vitaly’s latest controversial video, “DISTURBING THE PEACE in the Philippines, ” was uploaded on his Kick account. The video featured him playing pranks on Filipino passersby, riding a patrol motorcycle, stealing an industrial fan from a restaurant, and snatching a security guard’s cap several times, among other things.
However, this is not the first time the Russian vlogger has been arrested for his extreme pranks and wild publicity stunts. In 2020 alone, he was jailed for scaling one of the Pyramids of Giza and faced aggravated battery charges for assaulting a woman jogging in Miami.
Despite his controversial activities, the content creator has over 10 million subscribers on YouTube.
On April 2, the Russian YouTuber was arrested by authorities in front of a hotel in Pasay City after his videos went viral online. The BI also released a statement, tagging him as an undesirable foreign national.
“The Philippines welcomes visitors from all over the world, but those who abuse our hospitality and violate our laws will be held accountable,” said Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado. “Harassment and disruptive behavior have no place in our society, and we will take swift action against offenders.”
Viado added: “Our laws exist to protect the welfare of Filipinos… Let this serve as a reminder that while we welcome visitors, those who fail to respect our people and our laws will face the consequences.”
His arrest was coordinated with the Makati Police and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). He has been transferred to the BI’s detention facility while awaiting deportation proceedings.
ALSO READ: Chinese National Arrested, Faces Deportation for Kicking Cat to Death
What are your thoughts on this? Tell us in the comments!
Do you have a story for the WhenInManila.com Team? Email us at story.wheninmanila@gmail.com or send us a direct message at WhenInManila.com Facebook Page. Interact with the team and join the WhenInManila.com Community at WIM Squad! Get the latest news about the Philippine Entertainment industry and join the WIM Showbiz Facebook group! We also share our stories on Viber, join us!
