Russian vlogger tests negative for HIV after ‘rage-bait’ posts

The Russian vlogger arrested by Bureau of Immigration (BI) operatives last Wednesday has tested negative for HIV, officials confirmed Friday.

BI commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said he coordinated with Health Secretary Ted Herbosa to deploy medical personnel for the testing of Nikita Chekhov. Results from Thursday morning confirmed Chekhov was nonreactive for HIV and other related illnesses.

Viado said the results support the agency’s suspicion that Chekhov’s social media posts were “rage-bait” intended to provoke fear and gain online traction. Chekhov now faces deportation charges for undesirability after his posts caused public alarm.

The commissioner also addressed recent viral videos from blacklisted Russian national Vitaly Zdorovetskiy, who claimed conditions inside the BI Warden Facility were “inhumane.”

In the video, Zdorovetskiy complained about a daily diet of tuna and rice, the use of a dipper for bathing and alleged that pregnant women and children were being detained.

Viado clarified that no pregnant women or children are held at the facility, calling the claims false and misleading.

“These videos are again rage-bait, using familiar tactics to generate views and online engagement,” Viado said.

An investigation revealed the video was recorded around June or July. Subsequent raids resulted in the confiscation of smuggled gadgets, and by November, personnel found remiss in their duties were removed from their posts.

Officials cited that another foreign national in the video, Malik Dejoun Okojie, had reportedly smuggled mobile phones hidden in supplies brought by his wife.

Viado stressed that Zdorovetskiy remains permanently barred from returning to the Philippines due to his prior violations.