MANILA, Philippines — Arrested Russian vlogger Vitaly Zdorovetskiy will serve his sentence in the Philippines and will not be deported, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said in a radio interview.

Zdorovetskiy, who was arrested on April 3, 2025, is facing three counts of unjust vexation for allegedly harassing Filipinos in public while filming videos for his vlog. His trial is set to begin next week.

“We will service his sentence, sinigurado ko po ‘yun,” Remulla said, adding that the vlogger may face between three months to one year in jail for each count.

Remulla clarified that deportation is not an option, as neither Russia nor the United States—where Zdorovetskiy holds a green card—has agreed to take him in.

“Ang problema kasi namin, ang Russia, hindi siya tinatanggap. Ang US naman, green card holder siya, hindi rin siya tinatanggap,” he said.

Remulla also disclosed that Zdorovetskiy had written to him, asking for the charges to be dropped due to mental health concerns.

If convicted, the vlogger may serve a maximum sentence of up to 18 months in a Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) facility.