Ex-senator Tito Sotto denies that he received a copy of the script of Darryl Yap’s forthcoming movie, The Rapists of Pepsi Paloma, through an emissary so he (Sotto) could turn the script over to his younger brother, actor-producer-host Vic Sotto, who is mentioned in a teaser for the film as the rapist of the late skin-flick actor Paloma. 

In a previous media report, the former senator was alluded to by renowned lawyer Raymond Fortun as the one who received the script from Yap’s emissary who later assured the filmmaker that the younger Sotto received the script through the former senator. 

Fortun is the pro bono (no professional fee) legal counsel of Yap in the 19 counts of cyber libel filed by the younger Sotto against him due to Yap’s mentioning Sotto in a teaser for the movie as Paloma’s rapist. 

The former Senate President sent a text message to a media entertainment editor early this week denying that he received a copy of Yap’s script. Sotto went on to reveal that it was to entertainment mogul Vic del Rosario that Yap sent a copy of the script and it was from Del Rosario that he learned that Yap has a script about the alleged rape of Paloma by his younger brother. 

The ex-senator revealed that Yap sent Del Rosario a copy of the script to ask him to be its producer. Sotto said Del Rosario turned down Yap’s offer to Del Rosario to produce the film. 

Del Rosario heads Viva Communications, Inc. which owns the film company Viva Entertainment and the streaming platforms Viva One and VMX, formerly known as Vivamax).

Sotto said Del Rosario offered to send to him the script so the ex-senator could tell Vic about Yap’s proposed film project. The ex-senator declined the offer to be given a copy of the script. Thus, the former senator maintains that no Sotto has ever received and read the film’s script. 

Fortun has previously revealed in a television interview that Yap told him that he (Yap) sent text messages to Vic Sotto to ask him for his comments about the script, but Yap never received a reply so he started shooting the film in December last year.  

On 1 January this year, Yap posted a teaser for the film and the scene had a Pepsi character (portrayed by the grown up child actor Rhed Bustamante) fearfully telling another character that Vic Sotto raped her. That other character is supposedly the late award-winning actor Charito Solis, portrayed by actor-director Gina Alajar. 

Solis did only one movie with Paloma after the alleged rape: Naked Island.

It is well-known that Paloma and her manager, the mostly controversial Rey Dela Cruz, withdrew the rape case a few months after filing it in 1983. Paloma took her own life in 1985 by hanging herself in a closet. Dela Cruz was shot dead in 1999 by a burglar near his (De La Cruz’s) residence in Quiapo, Manila where he was barangay chairman.

Meanwhile, right on the day that Vic Sotto filed the case against Yap on 9 January at the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (MRTC), he told the media that he was never consulted by Yap about the film or by anyone who had anything to do with the production. 

Through his lawyer, Enrique “Buko” Dela Cruz, Sotto has asked the court to issue a writ of habeas data to compel Yap and his camp to delete his posted trailer and to stop him from referring to Sotto in the publicity and promotion of the film which Yap wants to release next month (February) in the theaters. 

Yap is confident that the film will be approved by the Movie and Television Review and Classication Board headed by Lala Sotto, daughter of ex-Sen. Sotto. He is also confident that theater bookers will accept the film and show it in their cinemas. As of this writing, no booker has expressed interest to show the film. 

The presiding judge at MRTC Branch 205 is Judge Liezel Aquiatan. She has been asked by Yap’s lawyer to issue a gag order against Sotto’s camp from talking about the case and about the film. As she is also the judge in the libel case and Sotto’s petition for a writ of habeas data, she set the hearing for both petitions on the morning of 15 January. 

On his Facebook (FB) account before that date, Yap posted a long message to announce developments about the court cases. The filmmaker said the court hearing has been moved to 17 January. 

Yap also announced that there is actually no court order so far for him to delete his FB posting of the film’s teaser and his other posts to promote the movie. 

Here is Yap’s conclusion of his long most recent FB message: “Meron na pong GAG ORDER sa lahat, di na kami pwede magpahayag tungkol sa merito ng kaso, para di magkaroon ng kaguluhan sa pag-iisip ng tao. Ito na po ang huling pagkakataon na magsasalita ako patungkol sa kaso at nawa’y malinaw po ito sa lahat ng sumusubaybay (There is gag order for all, so we can no longer comment on the merits of the case so that the minds of people will not be influenced. This will be the last time I will speak about this and I hope this is clear to everyone following this case).”

Yap has asserted in previous FB postings that his main reason for doing a film on Paloma’s life is that they are townmates in Olongapo City and he wants to commemorate the 40th death anniversary of Paloma whom Yap said remains well known in the city. 

Yap never met Paloma though as he had not been born yet when the skin-flick actor died in 1985. Yap was born in 1987. 

Meanwhile, PEP.ph entertainment website recently reported the possibility that Yap himself is the main producer of the film. Yap said in one of his FB posts that he expects his film to be released internationally and actually screened in movie houses abroad.