Filmmaker Darryl Yap, through his legal counsel, has requested the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 205 to issue a gag order preventing veteran actor Vic Sotto’s camp from publicly discussing the ongoing cyber libel case. Yap’s camp submitted the motion as they prepare to respond to the petition within five days of receipt, ABS-CBN News reported.
The legal team argued that disclosing information related to the case, which involves Yap’s upcoming film, could cause irreparable damage to the director’s creative work. Yap’s film, The Rapists of Pepsi Paloma, became controversial after its teaser, released on January 1, connected Sotto to the late ‘80s star Pepsi Paloma. The teaser quickly went viral.
The case includes 19 counts of cyber libel and a demand for P35 million in damages. Sotto’s camp claims the teaser contained “malicious and defamatory statements.”
Yap’s motion emphasized the need for compliance with the sub-judice rule, which restricts public commentary on ongoing cases. In a Facebook post, Yap thanked his legal team, led by Atty. Raymond Fortun.
Meanwhile, the court has not yet ordered the deletion of Yap’s film trailer. It issued a Writ of Habeas Data regarding Sotto’s consent but stopped short of requiring content removal. A decision on this matter will be made during a summary hearing on January 15.
Sotto’s lawyer, Enrique dela Cruz, insisted that the writ involves the trailer’s takedown, while Yap’s counsel argued no such order has been issued. Legal experts have weighed in, stating that creative license does not exempt filmmakers from accountability for libelous remarks.
