(UPDATE) MANILA, Philippines — Veteran actor and noontime show host Vic Sotto on Thursday filed 19 counts of cyber libel against Darryl Yap, the filmmaker of the upcoming controversial movie “The Rape of Pepsi Paloma.” Sotto arrived at the Muntinlupa Regional Court with wife Pauleen Luna and legal counsel Buko dela Cruz.
Speaking in Filipino to the media, Sotto said a lot of people have been asking him about his reaction to the movie trailer that mentioned his name several times. He said filing a case was his reaction.
The comedian said there was nothing personal but that he was against irresponsible individuals, especially when it came to social media.
Asked why his client filed 19 counts, Dela Cruz said in Filipino that the respondent made “defamatory statements or posts 19 times, which is why there are 19 counts. Each defamatory post counts as one.” It was on Jan. 1, 2025 when Yap posted a teaser poster and trailer for the film on his social media account, featuring the cast. In the teaser, young actress Rhed Bustamante, who plays Delia Dueñas Smith — also known as Pepsi Paloma — and Gina Alajar, portraying Charito Solis, are seen in an emotional conversation. In the scene, Solis asks Paloma if she was raped by Vic Sotto, to which the response was in the affirmative.
Following the filing of the case, Yap responded via his official Facebook account sharing a screenshot of Bustamante’s character with the words “Oo (yes)” and captioned that “the truth is the only defense against all questions.” Responding in Filipino, Yap said everyone has the freedom to file a complaint.
“No one has a monopoly on justice, especially not on the truth. Anyone is free to file a complaint to bring clarity to the truth. Because in the end, the truth is the only defense against all questions,” he said.
Yap pointed to the photo in answer to queries that were made. Referring to Pepsi Paloma, he said that they were going back to court, “the Filipinos in the movie house.
Dancer and actress Paloma was a popular name in showbiz during the early ’80s. She was known for films such as “Brown Emanuelle” (1981), “The Victim” (1982), “Krus sa Bawat Punglo” (1982), “Virgin People” (1983), “Snake Sisters” (1983), “Naked Island” (1984), “Matukso kaya ang Anghel?” (1984) and “Room 69 (1985).”
She was then involved in a highly publicized scandal when she accused comedians Vic Sotto, Joey de Leon, and Ricardo “Richie D’Horsie” Reyes of rape. According to Paloma’s account, she and fellow actress Guada Guarin were drugged, brought to a room at a hotel in Quezon City, and then raped. The three suspects denied Paloma’s accusations.
On May 31, 1985, Paloma was found dead in her apartment, in an apparent suicide.
