MANILA – Newly deported Russian vlogger Vitaly Zdorovetskiy claimed that he had access to a mobile phone while detained in a Philippine penal facility, alleging corruption and inhumane conditions during his detention.

During a livestream conversation with American online personality Adin Ross on January 23, Zdorovetskiy said he spent three months alone in isolation and was allegedly able to sneak in a cellphone after bribing jail guards.

“I had a phone the whole time in jail. I vlogged the whole experience. I’m going to expose the corruption,” Zdorovetskiy said.

“Bro, you can do anything. Money talks in the Philippines,” he added.

In the saved livestream, Zdorovetskiy also claimed that he endured inhumane conditions while in isolation, citing extreme heat inside the detention cell.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI), however, dismissed the claims, calling them “rage-baits.”

“These videos are again rage-bait, using familiar tactics to generate views and online engagement,” Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado said in a statement on January 23.

Viado said the bureau looked into Zdorovetskiy’s claim of using a mobile phone while in detention, noting that the incident allegedly occurred around June or July.

He said the claims prompted immediate raids inside the facility, which led to the seizure of illegally smuggled gadgets.

By November, Viado said personnel who were found to have neglected their duties had already been identified and relieved of their posts.

On January 24, Palace Press Secretary Claire Castro said that three BI personnel were dismissed for allegedly giving special treatment to the Russian vlogger.

Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said that if it is proven that Zdorovetskiy corrupted personnel inside the facility, authorities could file charges against him and seek his extradition, according to an ABS-CBN news report.

Zdorovetskiy was arrested on April 3 at a hotel in Pasay City after allegedly harassing several people in Taguig City.