Actor-TV host Vic Sotto secured a partial legal victory after the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court ordered the removal of the controversial teaser video for Darryl Yap’s upcoming film, The Rapists of Pepsi Paloma.
The decision was issued by Presiding Judge Liezel Aquiatan of Branch 205 on January 24, following Sotto’s petition for a writ of habeas data.
The court ruling stated, “The Petition for a Writ of Habeas Data filed by Petitioner Marvic ‘Vic’ Castelo Sotto is hereby partially granted.”
Judge Aquiatan ordered Yap and his production team, including Vin Centiments, to “delete, take down and remove the 26-second teaser video from online platforms, social media, or any other medium for having misused the collected data/information by presenting a conversation between two deceased individuals, which cannot be verified as having actually occurred.”
The teaser, released on January 1, features a heated exchange between Pepsi Paloma, played by actress Christine Bustamante, and her manager Babette Corcuerra, portrayed by Gina Alajar.
In the clip, Corcuerra asks, “Ipaliwanag mo sa akin! Magsabi ka sa akin! Ipaliwanag mo… Dahil hindi ko naiintindihan! Pepsi sumagot ka! Ni-rape ka ba ni Vic Sotto?” (“Explain to me! Tell me! Explain… Because I don’t understand! Pepsi, answer me! Did Vic Sotto rape you?”) Paloma shouts back, “Oo!” (“Yes!”). The scene has drawn widespread attention and backlash for its direct reference to Sotto.
Sotto filed the petition, asserting that the teaser misused data by fabricating an unverifiable conversation involving two deceased individuals. The court agreed, leading to the video’s removal.
However, it did not restrict Yap from proceeding with the film itself, citing its basis in public records, newspaper clippings, and archival footage. The court also acknowledged the director’s acquisition of consent from Paloma’s mother and brother, ensuring the story’s legal foundation.
Yap’s lawyer, Atty. Raymond Fortun, clarified that aside from the teaser’s removal, the ruling did not require any further deletion, destruction, or rectification of the film’s content.
“Other than to take down the teaser, the decision does not enjoin any act, or deletion, destruction, or rectification of erroneous data or information,” Fortun stated.
Meanwhile, Sotto’s lawyer, Atty. Enrique de la Cruz, welcomed the ruling as a step toward justice. “We are grateful to the honorable court for its decision, which grants justice to Vic Sotto’s petition,” he said, urging the immediate removal of all promotional materials featuring Sotto’s name and personal details.
Sotto’s wife, Pauleen Luna, expressed relief over the court’s decision, calling for kindness and respect amidst the ongoing controversy. “We strive to uplift one another instead of causing harm,” she wrote on Instagram.
The court’s ruling, however, has not put an end to the legal battles surrounding the film. Allegations of malice or bad motives on Yap’s part are still under investigation in a separate cyberlibel case filed with the city prosecutor.
The controversy over The Rapists of Pepsi Paloma stems from its focus on the 1980s starlet, who was at the center of a high-profile case involving allegations of rape before her death at the age of 17. The film is set for release on February 5.
