Elena Zdorovetskaia, the mother of the controversial Russian-American vlogger, Vitaly Zdorovetsky, made a plea to the Filipino people to forgive her son after the Philippine government decided not to deport him.
In a statement, Elena said that she had already taken full responsibility for his actions, despite his unapologetic gestures during his arrest and when he was presented to the public by government officials.
Elena also insisted that Vitaly has no intention to harm those Filipinos who became the subject of his pranks – one was even threatened with robbery by the vlogger.
“I want to be very clear: my son made a mistake, and he takes full responsibility. However, he meant no harm and deeply regrets his actions,” she said.
Vitaly’s mother, who also became controversial due to her publicity stunts abroad, explained that the vlogger was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a mental disorder.
She reminded the public that Vitaly visited the Philippines, not to do pranks entirely, but also to help unfortunate Filipinos.
“The man behind the headlines is also a man of faith, generosity, and remorse. He has already lost his online platform, his only source of income, and his ability to continue supporting our small family, including his 87-year-old grandmother and me,” said Elena.
Vitaly was expected to stay in the Philippines for years, as he was facing trial.
If found guilty, the government said that Vitaly would spend his sentence in the Philippines, which could last for decades.