The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has taken into custody an Estonian vlogger following his arrest for allegedly harassing and disrespecting Filipinos in various social media posts.
The vlogger, identified as 33-year-old Vitaly Zdorovetskiy, was apprehended by BI intelligence operatives in coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
The arrest followed a surge of online complaints and viral videos documenting the foreigner’s disruptive behavior.
According to BI Intelligence Division Chief Fortunato Manahan Jr., the vlogger was tagged as an “undesirable foreign national” after incidents in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) and other locations.
Reports indicate that Zdorovetskiy allegedly filmed himself mocking security guards, grabbing their equipment, and intimidating passersby for “prank” content.
“While the Philippines is known for its hospitality, foreign visitors are expected to respect our laws and our people,” said Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado in a statement.
“Harassment and disruptive behavior have no place in our society. We will not hesitate to take action against those who abuse the privilege of staying in our country.”
The vlogger is currently being held at the BI’s detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, pending deportation proceedings. Officials confirmed that he will also be blacklisted from re-entering the country.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) noted that Zdorovetskiy may face additional local criminal charges before his eventual removal from the country. Local authorities emphasized that “content creation” does not serve as a license to violate the dignity of citizens or local regulations.