A court has partially granted a petition for a writ of habeas data filed by actor and television host Vic Sotto against filmmaker Darryl Yap.

The petition before the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 205 concerns the teaser video for Yap’s controversial film The Rapists of Pepsi Paloma.

In her 20-page decision issued on 24 January but was only made public yesterday,

Judge Liezel Aquiatan ordered Yap to delete the 26-second teaser from all online platforms and other media.

“Respondent Darryl Ray Spyke B. Yap and any person or entity acting on his behalf, including the production team of Vin Centiments, are ordered to delete, take down, and remove the 26-second teaser video from online platforms, social media, or any other medium for having misused the collected data/information by presenting a conversation between two deceased individuals, which cannot be verified as having actually occurred,” the court ordered.

The teaser video, released on 1 January, featured a dramatic confrontation between characters Charito Solis (portrayed by Gina Alajar) and Pepsi Paloma (played by Bela Bustamante).

In the scene with the dialogue translated from Filipino, Solis demanded, “Explain to me! Tell me! Explain… Because I don’t understand! Pepsi, answer me! Did Vic Sotto rape you?” Paloma shouted in response, “Yes!”

Sotto argued in his petition that the teaser violated his privacy rights by using his name in an unverifiable and damaging context.

The court agreed, stating: “The widely circulated teaser video could lead a reasonable person to conclude that the petitioner is indeed a rapist, thereby violating his privacy rights and potentially threatening the life and security of his family.”

The decision emphasized that the video misused personal information, as it portrayed an alleged conversation between two individuals who have long since passed away, making it impossible to verify its authenticity.

Despite ordering the removal of the teaser, the court allowed Yap to proceed with the production and eventual release of the film.