A Muntinlupa court has partially granted a petition filed by actor Vic Sotto against filmmaker Darryl Yap regarding the controversial trailer for Yap’s upcoming film, The Rapists of Pepsi Paloma.
The Writ of Habeas Data, issued by the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 205 on January 27, prohibits Yap from disclosing personal information about Sotto in any promotional materials or platforms related to the movie.
In a detailed 20-page order, Presiding Judge Liezel Aquiatan mandated that Yap and his production team, Vin Centiments, remove a 26-second teaser video that allegedly depicted Sotto as a rapist connected to the late ’80s actress, Pepsi Paloma.
The court described the portrayal as a misuse of collected data, particularly criticizing the use of unverifiable conversations involving deceased individuals.
“Respondent Darryl Ray Spyke B. Yap and any person or entity acting on his behalf… are ORDERED to delete, take down and remove the teaser video from online platforms, social media, or any other medium,” the court order read.
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While the court ruled in favor of Sotto concerning the teaser, it refrained from addressing claims of malice or ill intent on the part of Yap, stating that such issues are beyond the scope of the current case. These allegations will be considered in an ongoing cyberlibel investigation by the Office of the City Prosecutor, the order stated.
Despite the removal of the teaser, the court allowed Yap to continue with the production and release of The Rapists of Pepsi Paloma, which is slated for theatrical release on February 5.
