MANILA, Philippines — January 24, 2026 — Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla has warned that controversial Russian vlogger Vitaly Zdorovetskiy may face charges and possible extradition after publicly claiming he bribed guards during his detention in the Philippines.

Remulla’s statement came in response to Zdorovetskiy’s remarks during a YouTube livestream of Adin Live (@AdinRoss) on Friday, where the vlogger alleged that he had access to a mobile phone throughout his detention by paying off jail personnel. 

“I vlogged the whole experience and I’m gonna expose the corruption. Everything… It’s corruption. I paid the guard. You’re good to go,” Zdorovetskiy said. He added, “Bro, you can do anything. Money talks in the Philippines.”

Remulla clarified that Zdorovetskiy was only under the custody of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) for a week before being transferred to the Bureau of Immigration (BI) detention facility, where he stayed for several months. 

“If he shows that he was the corrupter in the facility, then we can charge him and have him extradited back,” Remulla told ABS-CBN News in a message on Saturday.

Zdorovetskiy, 33, was arrested by BI intelligence operatives in April 2025 after going viral for harassing Filipinos in Bonifacio Global City. He was deported on January 17, 2026, but continues to post content online referencing his detention. In one video, he claimed, “They really tried to break me but it built me.”

The BI confirmed that an internal investigation was conducted after reports surfaced of Zdorovetskiy’s access to a mobile phone inside the detention facility. BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said raids were carried out in June and July, leading to the confiscation of smuggled gadgets. “By November, personnel found to be remiss in their duties were identified and removed from their posts,” Viado explained.

The BI also revealed that another foreign national, Malik Dejoun Okojie, who appeared with Zdorovetskiy in one of the videos, had smuggled mobile phones concealed in supplies brought in by his Filipina wife. Viado stressed that Zdorovetskiy remains permanently barred from returning to the Philippines. 

“Zdorovetskiy, who we consider as an undesirable alien, continues to post rage-bait content to generate income from Filipinos online. Regardless of these posts, he remains permanently barred from returning to the Philippines due to his violations,” he said.

The case has reignited debates about corruption and accountability in detention facilities, with authorities insisting that reforms are being implemented to prevent similar incidents. 

Reform or Reaction?

The government says it acted. Investigations were launched, gadgets were seized, and personnel were removed after a foreign vlogger claimed he bribed guards during detention. On paper, this looks like accountability catching up with misconduct.

Public skepticism remains. The probes came after viral exposure, not before. The fixes followed embarrassment, not early detection. For critics, that timing matters. Reactive discipline does not always equal systemic reform.

Supporters argue the system worked. Violations surfaced, evidence was gathered, and corrective action followed. That is how institutions respond under scrutiny.

But the harder question lingers. Are detention reforms truly structural, or do they only move when humiliation forces the state to act?

Image from PNA