Filmmaker Darryl Yap, through his legal counsel Fortun and Santos Law Offices, has filed a request with the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 205, seeking a gag order against the camp of veteran actor Vic Sotto.
Yap’s legal team wants the court to prevent Sotto and his representatives from publicly disclosing information regarding an ongoing lawsuit.
A gag order, typically issued by the courts, prohibits parties involved in a case, including their lawyers, from sharing details with the media or discussing any aspect of the case publicly.
Yap’s motion stems from the fact that the director is set to provide a “verified return” regarding his controversial film— a project that has yet to be released. Yap’s camp argues that any disclosure of this information, particularly from Sotto’s camp, could harm the film’s integrity and artistic outcome.
“Further considering that the verified return shall involve an unreleased film by a prominent director, any disclosure of the verified return would not only violate the Respondent’s freedom of expression but would also cause grave and irreparable damage to the Respondent’s artistic license and the outcome of the film,” the motion read.
The lawsuit filed by Sotto accuses Yap of 19 counts of cyber libel, with a prayer for damages totaling P35 million. The suit pertains to what Sotto describes as “malicious and defamatory statements” in the teaser for Yap’s film The Rapists of Pepsi Paloma.
The teaser, which was posted in January, quickly went viral, with many social media users linking Sotto to the late actress Pepsi Paloma, a prominent star in the 1980s.
Yap’s legal counsel emphasized that the case has already attracted significant media attention, making the issuance of the gag order even more important. They argue that, in compliance with the “sub-judice rule,” which restricts public comments on active cases, such an order is necessary to ensure a fair legal process.
In a post on Facebook, Yap thanked his legal team, sharing a photo with Atty. Raymond Fortun and his son, Raymond Wilhelm Fortun. “Thank you, Fortuns,” he wrote in his caption.
