In Muntinlupa, the court partially granted the petition of actor Vika Sotto against director Darrel Yap regarding a controversial trailer for his upcoming film "The Rapists of Pepsi Paloma." A written order for the removal of personal information about Sotto from materials and advertising related to the film was issued by the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court on January 27.
The court obliged Yap and his team, Vin Centiments, to remove a 26-second video recording in which, according to the case materials, Sotto was depicted as a notorious figure connected to the 80s actress Pepsi Paloma. The court described this depiction as an improper use of personal data, especially criticizing the use of unverified dialogues with deceased individuals.
Following this, the court ruled, stating that the Data Privacy Act guarantees the right to the removal of information. In the court's ruling, it is stated: "The respondent Darrel B. Yap and any person or organization acting on his behalf are ordered to remove, delete, and eliminate the trailer from online platforms, social networks, or other means of mass information."
The court issued a ruling regarding the removal of the trailer; however, it did not intervene in the issue of slander or presumed infliction of damage on Yap's part, stating that such matters are outside the scope of this case. These allegations will be considered during the ongoing investigation into the case of the cyber-libel against the provincial prosecutor.
Despite the removal of the trailer, the court allowed Yap to continue the production and release of the film "The Rapists of Pepsi Paloma," which is scheduled to premiere in theaters on February 5.