Russian vlogger who harassed Pinoys nabbed

MANILA, Philippines — After allegedly harassing Filipinos in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, authorities on Wednesday arrested Russian-American vlogger Vitaly Zdorovetskiy, who is infamous for his pranks.

Zdorovetskiy, 33, is facing three counts of unjust vexation in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act, two cases of theft and one charge of attempted theft, Taguig police public information officer Maj. Cherrylyn Agtarap told The STAR.

The suspect is being held at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig pending deportation.

Zdorovetskiy did not show remorse following his arrest and appeared smug when his mugshot was taken, Bureau of Immigration (BI) spokesperson Dana Sandoval said.

Operatives of the BI and the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) apprehended Zdorovetskiy following reports of harassment and disruptive behavior, as documented in his vlog titled “Vitaly disturbing the peace in the Philippines.”

“The Philippines welcomes visitors from all over the world, but those who abuse our hospitality and violate our laws will be held accountable,” Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said.

Four security guards and a restaurant owner filed the complaints against Zdorovetskiy, whose YouTube handle is VitalyzdTv.

“The complainants are looking forward to his deportation should the charges filed against him prosper in court,” Agtarap said.

Zdorovetskiy reportedly threatened to rob a Filipina before calling her a “liberal f**k” for wearing a face mask. He also harassed security guards by stealing their caps and riding a patrol motorcycle.

He had faced backlash online for harassing workers in Boracay.

The vlogger was about to board a car in front of a hotel along Seaside Boulevard in Pasay when he was arrested by police.

CIDG director Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III said the vlogger’s arrest stemmed from a mission order from the BI for being an undesirable alien.

“We have read the online outrage and we coordinated with other authorities for proper actions against the suspect. We cannot just let this incident pass,” Torre said in a statement.

Col. Randulf Tuano, Philippine National Police public information officer, said a Filipino who accompanied Zdorevetskiy and took videos of his antics was also included in the complaints.

–EJ Macababbad