(Manila, 22nd, Comprehensive News) The Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) recently arrested a 21-year-old Russian video blogger, accusing him of posting videos on social media in which he threatened to deliberately spread the HIV virus while in the Philippines, causing public panic. The foreign national has been detained and will face deportation.
BI Commissioner Tansingco stated that the arrested individual is Nikita Chekhov, who was apprehended in an apartment in Quezon City. He entered the Philippines as a tourist on the 15th of this month, and then filmed and uploaded videos in Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City, claiming to have intentions of spreading HIV locally.
The video is regarded as "attention-seeking" content intentionally designed to provoke anger and controversy, quickly circulating online and causing public unease. Tansingco emphasized that any foreign national who causes panic, insults the people, or abuses the country’s hospitality in the Philippines is unwelcome and will be deported according to law.
The BI stated that Chekhov is currently held in the Bureau's detention facility, awaiting deportation procedures.
Meanwhile, on the same day, Malacañang Palace addressed the issue of Russian blogger Vitaly Zdorovetskiy, suspected of filming and publishing videos during his detention. Presidential spokesperson Castro said that three BI personnel have already been dismissed and several mobile phones confiscated, with investigations ongoing.
She stressed that if any further abuse of power or procedural negligence by officials is found, further investigations will be conducted and severe actions taken to prevent similar incidents from recurring.
It is reported that Zdorovetskiy was previously listed as an "unwelcome foreigner" by the BI due to multiple instances of harassing Filipino citizens, and was deported to Russia after approximately nine months of detention.