The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has ordered an internal review and reinforced detention rules following online allegations made by deported foreign national Vitaly Zdorovetskiy regarding his stay at the BI Warden Facility while his deportation case was pending.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said the claims, which include allegations of unauthorized mobile phone use and corruption, remain unverified and are based solely on the individual’s account but nonetheless merit internal scrutiny. He stressed that the allegations do not affect the legal basis of Zdorovetskiy’s deportation nor reverse the ruling declaring him an undesirable alien.
As part of corrective measures, Viado confirmed that inspection and enforcement operations were conducted at BI Warden Facilities in Taguig and Muntinlupa, leading to the confiscation of contraband such as unauthorized cash, mobile phones and electronic devices, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, bladed objects, and gambling paraphernalia. He warned that any personnel found violating regulations will face administrative and criminal sanctions.
Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview on DZRH’s Magandang Umaga Pilipinas on Wednesday, BI Spokesperson Dana Sandoval clarified that detainees at the BI Warden Facility are allowed limited access to mobile phones, emphasizing that the facility is a holding area and not a jail.
“The use of their cellphone is supposedly only to contact po their family, their counsel, o kaya po ang embahada, hindi po for vlogging," Sandoval said, stressing that phone use is regulated and monitored.
Sandoval added that the issue arose following reports of cellphone use by Russian vlogger Zdorovetskiy during his detention, underscoring the need to strictly enforce existing guidelines.
The BI reiterated its commitment to humane detention conditions, institutional integrity, and accountability, while affirming that Zdorovetskiy’s deportation and permanent ban from reentering the Philippines remain in full force under immigration laws.
