A security lapse inside a Philippine immigration detention center has prompted leadership changes and a wider probe, after a foreign detainee managed to record and publish video content from inside the facility.
Malacañang confirmed on Monday that the courtesy resignation of a warden at the Bureau of Immigration was accepted, while two deputy wardens were removed from their posts. Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said the actions followed discussions with immigration officials over how online content was produced while a detainee was in custody.
“We spoke directly with BI leadership, and they said that allowing detainees to use phones was meant only for contacting their families. Filming content was not allowed, and the vlogger’s video was unauthorized and had no approval from the facility,” Castro said during a Palace briefing.
She said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a deeper review of the incident, adding: “Following the President’s directive for a thorough investigation, we accepted the courtesy resignations of three BI personnel—one warden and two deputies.”
The issue surfaced after Russian vlogger Vitaly Zdorovetskiy shared accounts of his detention following his deportation. In social media posts and a livestream with American online personality Adin Ross, Zdorovetskiy claimed he was able to record footage by bribing guards and sneaking a mobile phone into his cell.
Immigration authorities subsequently conducted raids last week at detention facilities in Taguig City and Muntinlupa City, seizing items classified as contraband. The haul included cash, smartphones, electronic gadgets, cigarettes and e-cigarettes, knives, and other sharp objects.
Officials said their inquiry also pointed to the possible involvement of another foreign detainee in bringing phones into the facility. BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval addressed the matter on the program Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.
“Doon po sa period ng post ni Vitaly, it happened po around siguro June or July. Nakita sa video na ‘yun na may kasama siyang foreign national at nung nakita po yung report about the foreign national, he has been previously involved sa pagpupuslit po ng mga gadgets po papasok ng facility,” Sandoval said.
She added: “Although deported na po siya nung time po na ‘yun na nandoon po siya, nahuli po siya na nagpupuslit po through the assistance of his Filipino wife, na nagsisilid po ng mga cellphone, mga kung ano-ano pong paraphernalia papasok po ng pasilidad.”
Castro said the government would not address Zdorovetskiy’s accusations directly but would correct inaccurate claims. “At this time, we can only address and correct his claims,” she said, adding that any new disclosures could help guide investigators. “If there is widespread corruption in the agency, those who break the law must be removed.”
She said administrative and criminal cases may be pursued against personnel found to have violated rules, and that a broader reshuffle within the Bureau of Immigration remains a possibility.
