The Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court has partially granted Vic Sotto’s writ of habeas data petition against director-screenwriter Darryl Yap concerning the trailer for the upcoming movie, The Rapists of Pepsi Paloma.
In a 20-page decision released on Monday, January 27, Presiding Judge Liezel Aquiatan of Muntinlupa RTC Branch 205 ordered the removal of the trailer from public platforms, citing its mention of Sotto as one of the alleged rapists of the late 1980s star Pepsi Paloma.
While the court ordered the trailer’s removal, it clarified that the movie, scheduled to premiere on February 5, would still push through. “The Court cannot suppress the entire film, as it is based on the life story of Pepsi Paloma where the respondent secured the consent of the mother and brother, derived from public records like newspaper clippings, footages, and is protected by artistic freedom and public interest,” the order stated.
Following the ruling, Sotto’s wife, actress-host Pauleen Luna, expressed her gratitude on Instagram. “We give thanks to the Lord for this court decision. The results are in and the outcome is in our favor, confirming that the material released was malicious in nature. We won this case,” Luna wrote alongside a family photo.
She added, “This victory is for our children and family, and we humbly lift our gratitude to Almighty God. Let this be a reminder that our words and actions have great power, and that kindness and integrity should always guide us.”
Meanwhile, Sotto’s legal counsel, Atty. Enrique Dela Cruz, welcomed the court’s decision and stated that their team would now focus on the cyber libel complaint against Yap.
On January 9, Sotto filed 19 counts of cyber libel against the director-screenwriter in connection with the controversial trailer.
