Follow PH laws, Moscow envoy tells nationals after Russian vlogger's arrest

Russia's top diplomat to Manila has advised Russian travelers to strictly follow Philippine laws after a popular Russian-American prankster was arrested for harassing Filipinos.

Vitaly Zdorovetskiy, a vlogger with over 10 million followers on YouTube where he posts his prank videos in countries he visited, was apprehended by Philippine authorities in April for his series of law-breaking stunts.

Zdorovetskiy, who goes by the content creator name "Vitaly," drew the ire of netizens after uploading videos of himself harassing Filipinos while filming around Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

"They (Russians) are obliged to be in conformity with the law of the country they are staying in," Russian Ambassador Marat Pavlov told reporters in an interview Wednesday at the Russian Embassy's Victory Day reception, which commemorated the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

Citing embassy data, Pavlov said some 5,000 Russians are living in the Philippines and 30,000 visited for tourism in 2024.

Pavlov said he generally finds many Russians residing in the Philippines as "really disciplined" and hoped that others, including their diplomats, would respect and adhere to local laws.

At the same time, Pavlov expressed hope that Russian visitors will not face discrimination despite Zdorovetskiy's behavior and that any future cases involving Russians will be handled "discreetly" by Filipino authorities.

The 33-year-old Zdorovetskiy, who was presented to the media last month handcuffed and wearing an orange jail uniform by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), is facing a 24-year prison sentence in the country, if convicted.

"It should be put and resolved in a quiet manner without so many publicity, that is my view," he said.

Zdorovetskiy, who was reported in the media as having both Russian and American citizenship, did not respond to the Russian Embassy's offer of assistance, according to the envoy.

However, Pavlov said the embassy is in touch with the Philippine Bureau of Immigration regarding Zdorovetskiy's situation.

The Russian social media personality is currently at the BI's detention facility inside Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig.

He was tagged as an "undesirable foreign national" following his viral social media posts.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has expressed disappointment over Zdorovetskiy's acts, saying Philippine authorities will not tolerate bullying committed by foreigners on Filipinos.

Meanwhile, Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado stressed that while Filipinos are known for their hospitality, foreign visitors are expected to respect local customs and obey Philippine laws.

"The Philippines welcomes visitors from all over the world, but those who abuse our hospitality and violate our laws will be held accountable," he said, adding that, "Harassment and disruptive behavior have no place in our society, and we will take swift action against offenders." — VDV, GMA Integrated News