The Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 205 has issued a gag order in the cyber libel case filed by actor Vic Sotto against filmmaker Darryl Yap.
The order prohibits all parties involved from publicly disclosing or discussing any details of the case proceedings, including the contents of the respondents’ filings.
The court granted Yap’s urgent motion for a gag order, citing concerns that public statements could prejudice the case and potentially influence public perception.
Yap’s legal team argued that Sotto’s camp had been releasing “irresponsible” statements and that disclosing details of the film, which has not yet been released, could significantly impact its outcome.
The court’s order emphasizes the importance of confidentiality in upholding the sub judice rule and ensuring a fair and impartial judicial process.
Earlier, the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court issued a writ of habeas data for the upcoming film “The Rapists of Pepsi Paloma” by Yap, but his lawyer said no stop order was given.
“Writ was issued, no stop order,” Yap’s lawyer Raymond Fortun said in a statement sent to GMA News Online.
Veteran television host-actor Vic Sotto earlier filed a cyber-libel complaint against Yap, following the release of the movie’s teaser where Sotto’s name was mentioned.
Sotto’s legal counsel Enrique Dela Cruz described the court’s issuance of a writ of habeas data as a recognition of the validity of their claims.
“This means that the court upheld that the form and substance of the petition are correct. Therefore, Mr. Yap was ordered to explain what he did regarding the said posts after he received the writ,” Dela Cruz said.
Earlier, Yap remained firm that his film was based on documented events.
“There is nothing personal. I am simply presenting what happened in the past as seen in publications from the 1980s. That has already been made public.”
“I did not say that Vic Sotto is the one referred to by the title of the movie—they were the ones who said that. It is important for them to watch the entire film first. Thank you,” the filmmaker added.
Paloma was found dead in her apartment in 1985, with authorities ruling it a suicide. Her case, however, has been marked by allegations of sexual assault and coercion.
Yap’s camp also denied Sotto’s claim that he was not consulted on the upcoming film.
Fortun said Yap sent a copy of the script to Sotto to ask for his comments.
“The purpose was really for them to give comments about the script. Yap had followed up multiple times until finally, the scenes were already shot. It’s not our fault anymore,” said Fortun.