DIRECTOR Darryl Yap has been charged with two counts of cyberlibel in the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court for his controversial biopic movie about the late actress Pepsi Paloma.
The Office of the City Prosecutor of Muntinlupa filed an information on March 17 accusing Yap of libel under Articles 353 and 355 of the Revised Penal Code, in violation of the Republic Act 10175 or Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
The charges stem from a teaser for Yap’s upcoming movie, “The Rapists of Pepsi Paloma,” released on January 1. In the teaser, Gina Alajar, playing the role of Charito Solis, asks the lead actress, portraying Pepsi Paloma, if she was raped by actor-host Vic Sotto. The actress responds with “yes.”
The city prosecutor argued that the scene in the teaser defamed Sotto.
“Thus, attributing or ascribing to the latter the commission of the crime against deceased actress Pepsi Paloma, or that said complainant was a rapist, thereby exposing the latter to public contempt, hatred, dishonor or ridicule or causing the latter’s reputation to be tarnished, to the damage and prejudice of said Marvic ‘Vic’ Sotto y Castelo.”
The prosecutor recommended a bail of P10,000 for each count of the case.
In January, Sotto filed 19 counts of cyber libel against Yap with the Muntinlupa Office of the City Prosecutor.
Sotto stated in his complaint that he felt his “right to privacy was being violated because this rape accusation is NOT TRUE and the dissemination of this wrong information is fooling a lot of people.”
