Three personnel from Bureau of Immigration (BI) detention facility have tendered their resignations after Russian vlogger Vitaly Zdorovetskiy threatened to expose alleged corruption following his three-month detention in the country, Malacañang said on Monday.
In a press conference, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said the resignations of a warden were accepted by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., while the two deputy wardens were dismissed from their posts.
"Sa ngayon, inutos ng Pangulo na magkaroon ng malalimang pag-iimbestiga rito, tatlo po ang tinanggap na po ang courtesy resignation: isang warden, dalawang deputies," Castro said.
Zdorovetskiy, who was deported to Russia on January 17 after being detained over alleged harassment of Filipino citizens for his content, claimed that he was able to maintain access to his phone throughout his stay.
He also stated, “money talks [in the Philippines],” implying that bribery enabled him to bypass facility rules.
“I had a phone the whole time in jail. I vlogged the whole experience, and I'm going to expose the corruption,” Zdorovetskiy said during a livestream on YouTube.
While Zdorovetskiy is now abroad following his deportation, the Palace emphasized that the President has ordered a deep investigation into the incident to ensure accountability.
“Kung ano man po ang nasabi diyan at maibubunyag po niya, dapat lamang po din nating malaman para magkaroon ng tamang pag-iimbestiga,” Castro added.
On whether the government is conducting parallel investigations into alleged corruption in BI detention areas, Castro explained that the focus remains on verifying the claims and pursuing action if there is sufficient evidence.
She noted that officials who abuse their position must be investigated thoroughly.
“Kung gusto nila na manatili sa kanilang posisyon at pwesto at manatiling miyembro ng gobyerno at empleyado ng gobyerno, dapat sumunod sila sa kautusan ng Pangulo. Huwag sumangkot sa isyu ng corruption,” she added.
Regarding a potential reshuffling of key BI officials, Castro said that this would depend on the investigation’s outcome.
“Depende po. Kailangan po maimbestigahan kung sino ba at kanino ba nagmula ang mga ganitong klaseng pang-aabuso,” Castro emphasized.
