Vic Sotto has filed 19 counts of cyberlibel against director Darryl Yap in response to the release of a controversial film teaser for The Rapists of Pepsi Paloma, which included Sotto’s name in a sensitive context.
Sotto’s legal representative, Atty. Enrique Dela Cruz, confirmed that the case was filed at the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC). Sotto arrived at the courthouse accompanied by his wife, Pauleen Luna, to pursue the legal action personally.
In the teaser, the actress portraying Pepsi Paloma was asked if she had been raped by Vic Sotto. The character replied affirmatively, leading to public outrage and Sotto’s decision to address the matter legally.
Sotto broke his silence in an interview, stating, “A lot of people have been asking me, ‘Ano reaction mo?’ Ito na po yun. Ito na po yung reaction ko. Sabi ko nga eh, ito’y walang personalan ito, I just trust in our justice system. Ako’y laban sa mga irresponsableng tao lalo na pagdating sa social media.”
The actor also disclosed that no effort was made by the production team to seek his permission or consult him regarding the film. “Walang kumunsulta, walang nagpaalam, walang consent,” he said.
Despite his legal action, Sotto expressed no animosity toward the cast, stating, “Wala, trabaho lang ‘yon, no problem.”
He further shared that his family, friends, and supporters are backing his pursuit of justice. When asked if he had a message for Yap, Sotto responded with a brief, “Happy New Year.”
The Muntinlupa RTC responded swiftly to the filing by ordering the immediate removal of the film teaser from all platforms.
While Yap previously clarified that the movie is focused on Pepsi Paloma and not the iconic trio Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon (TVJ), he did not deny that TVJ would appear in the film. Attempts to reach Yap for comment were unsuccessful at the time of this article.
