Veteran comedian-host Vic Sotto became emotional on Tuesday as he took the witness stand before the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court in his cyber libel case against controversial director Darryl Yap over the teaser of the film ‘The Rapists of Pepsi Paloma’ (TROPP).
In his sworn affidavit, Sotto said the teaser maliciously suggested that he raped late actress Pepsi Paloma, portraying him as one of her alleged assailants “without any factual basis” and exposing his family to relentless online attacks.
“The comments and direct private messages from netizens consisted of personal attacks and threats of physical harm against me and my family members. They especially disparaged my name, eroded my reputation, discredited my social standing, and diminished my esteem, self-respect, and goodwill… I was unfairly branded as a rapist without any factual basis, as suggested in the teaser video,” Sotto testified.
He explained that the teaser featured Rhed Bustamante as Paloma responding “Oo!” to Gina Alajar’s Charito Solis asking if she was raped by Sotto. The clip, he said, misleadingly stopped at “Oo,” when in fact the script’s full line read, “Oo, alam ko ang ginagawa ko.”
Sotto, who was accompanied in court by his wife Pauleen Luna-Sotto and assisted by lawyer Atty. Enrique Dela Cruz Jr., stressed that Paloma herself denied being raped and that her complaint in the 1980s had been dismissed nearly four decades ago.
Dela Cruz said his client broke down while recalling how the teaser also subjected his family to threats. “Bossing Vic cried when he told the story that his wife and daughter were very affected by the posting of the teaser video because many believed it. Until now, many have posted negative comments about him, his wife and daughter. There were threats to rape and hurt them,” the lawyer said.
The ‘Eat Bulaga’ host is seeking ₱20 million in moral damages and ₱15 million in exemplary damages, citing the humiliation, mental anguish, and anxiety caused by the incident.
The Muntinlupa City Prosecutor’s Office earlier indicted Yap on two counts of cyber libel, ruling that the teaser was defamatory as it ascribed a grave crime to Sotto and fueled public backlash. While Sotto had originally sought 19 counts and ₱35 million in damages, prosecutors limited the indictment.
In January, Judge Liezl Acquiatan of Muntinlupa RTC Branch 205 ordered Yap to take down the teaser across all platforms, but allowed production and eventual release of the film to proceed.
For his part, Yap has denied malicious intent. His lawyer Atty. Raymond Fortun told Inquirer Entertainment that he hopes the court will favorably consider the points established during cross-examination, though he declined to elaborate, citing sub judice rules.
The next hearings are expected to focus on the testimonies of Yap and his defense team.
