The Philippines is currently on its election period; a season when candidates aspiring for various leadership positions in the government compete with each other to win the approval and votes of the public.
Besides the usual campaigning, it is also a time when candidates look for anything they can use against their opponents to influence the direction of votes.
Many have simply considered this mudslinging a norm during the election or campaign period, and it is up to these aspirants to address such issue in whatever way they can. One of these politicians who have been on the receiving end of such allegations is Tito Sotto.
Eat Bulaga regular and two-term Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III has been plague with allegations of involvement in the controversial rape and death of a 1980 sexy actress known for her screen name, Pepsi Paloma.
Pepsi Paloma made headlines in 1982 when she sought the services of Lawyer Rene Cayetano to file a case against three high-profile suspects (mainly Joey de Leon, Richie D’Horsey, and Vic Sotto) who allegedly drugged and raped her.
Tito Sotto was then allegedly involved in an elaborate cover-up which included coercing Pepsi Paloma into signing an ‘affidavit of desistance’ and dropping the rape complaint.
A more elaborate detail chronicling this alleged controversial story can be read in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Other related material includes articles from SPOT and FilipiKnow sharing other resources pertaining to the said 1980’s allegation and controversial issue.
After more than three decades since the case legally’ ended, Senatorial aspirant Tito Sotto finally speaks up regarding the whole Pepsi Paloma issue that is being used against him. Sotto talked about it when asked by anchor by Alvin Elchico in the DZMM’s election special “Ikaw na ba? Ang senador para sa pamilyang Pilipino,” (“Is it you? The Senator for the Filipino Family“).
Screen-grab from the March 4, 2016 ABS-CBN News article, Tito Sotto: Pepsi Paloma scandal was a ‘gimmick’.
Sotto denies any involvement in the said allegation and dismiss it as simply a ‘gimmick.’ Excerpt from the DZMM election series special includes the following statements from the 2016 senatorial aspirant of ‘Partido Galing at Puso’.
“Una, 1988 po ako naging vice mayor ng Quezon City. Matagal na hong wala ‘yung kwentong ‘yun. 1982 ho yung kwentong iyun eh. So, wala ho akong pakialam sa isyung iyan nung araw,” (“First off, I became Vice Mayor of Quezon city in 1988. That was an old story. The story came from 1982. So, I don’t care about that isse back then,“) Sotto explained.
“Para ho sa kaalaman ng lahat… gimik ho ni Rey dela Cruz (Paloma’s manager) ‘yun. Hindi ho totoo ‘yun. Pinagtangkaan nilang magkaso kasi tinira sila ng libel nina Vic (Sotto) at Joey (De Leon). Idinemanda sila ng libel kaya pinagtangkaan nilang balikan ng kaso. Pero makikita n’yo naman sa nangyari pagkatapos, wala naman dahil gimmick lang talaga ni nasirang Rey ‘yon. ” (“For everyone’s information… this is all just a gimmick by Rey dela Cruz. This is not true. They tried to filing a lawsuit because Vic and Joey initially hit them with libel. A libel lawsuit was filed against them first which is the reason why they attempted to file a lawsuit. But you will see after everything ended, it’s nothing because it was all a gimmick by the late-Rey,“) Sotto elaborated.
“Pagkatapos, mayroon pa akong nababasa sa Facebook na kaya daw nagpakamatay si ganon… hindi ho, droga po ‘yun! May mga dyaryo nga na lumabas na concerned; sabi sa mga lumang dyaryo makikita na si Paloma mismo ang nagsasabi na hindi totoo,” (“I am reading things on Facebook that the reason why this person died… that’s not true, it was drugs! There were newspapers released in which you will see that Paloma herself says that these were all not true.“) Sotto added.
“Mga naninira na lang yun. Ginagamit pa rin sa Facebook kung anong gimmick nung araw. Hindi po totoo ‘yun, wala pong katotohanan,” (“These are all from detractors. They are simply using the gimmick back in the days in Facebook. These are all false. There are no truths in it,“) Sotto ended.
