Russian vlogger Vitaly Zdorovetskiy will not be deported and will instead serve his sentence in the Philippines after being charged with harassing Filipinos for online content, officials announced. The YouTuber is set to stand trial next week and could face up to 18 months in jail.
MANILA – Russian vlogger Vitaly Zdorovetskiy will remain in the Philippines to serve his sentence for harassing and insulting Filipinos in pursuit of online content, according to Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla.
Zdorovetskiy, known online as VitalyzdTv, is set to stand trial next week on three counts of unjust vexation, charges that carry a possible jail term of three months to one year. “We will service his sentence. I made sure of that,” Remulla stated on Sunday.
Deportation is not an option, Remulla added, as both Russia and the United States—where Zdorovetskiy holds a green card—have refused to accept him. The vlogger has reportedly written to Remulla, appealing for the charges to be dropped and citing mental health concerns.
If found guilty, the 33-year-old could serve up to 18 months in a Bureau of Jail Management and Penology facility.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. previously condemned Zdorovetskiy’s actions, emphasizing that the government would not tolerate abuse masquerading as entertainment.
Zdorovetskiy was arrested on April 3 and has been declared persona non grata in several countries due to his controversial behavior.