Despite posting bail on criminal charges, Russian vlogger returns to BI custody for his deportation case
Despite posting bail for provisional liberty on his criminal charges before the Taguig City regional trial court (RTC), Russian vlogger Vitaly Zdorovetskiy has been returned to the detention facility of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) because of his deportation case.
“Because he faces a deportation case, even if he files for bail for his local cases, he will still be returned to the custody of the BI,” said BI Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado in a statement.
“He will not be allowed to roam around as he is already seen as an undesirable alien,” Viado said.
He said that Zdorovetskiy will not be deported until all the cases the Russian is facing before the court have been resolved and he has served the sentence meted out on him, if any.
Last June 11, the BI transferred Zdorovetskiy to the custody of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) due to cases filed against him before the Taguig City RTC for, among other charges, vexation and alarm and scandal.
Before his transfer to BJMP custody, Zdorovetskiy has been in the BI custody since his arrest last April 2 for his pranks against Filipinos that he turned into viral videos in social media.
“Foreign guests are expected to follow the law during their stay in the Philippines. We will not allow them to abuse our hospitality and disrespect our people and our country,” Viado stressed.