Darryl Yap pleads not guilty in Cyberlibel case filed by Vic Sotto

Controversial filmmaker Darryl Yap has entered a not guilty plea to two counts of cyberlibel filed by actor and TV host Vic Sotto.

The plea was made during Yap’s arraignment at the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 203 on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.

The case stems from the teaser of Yap’s unreleased film ‘The Rapists of Pepsi Paloma’, uploaded on his Facebook page last January 1.

The teaser featured actress Gina Alajar (as Charito Solis) asking Rhed Bustamante’s character (Pepsi Paloma), “Ginahasa ka ba ni Vic Sotto?”—to which the character replied, “Oo.” The exchange triggered public outcry and the eventual filing of legal charges by Sotto.

In March, the Muntinlupa City Prosecutor’s Office found prima facie evidence to indict Yap, citing violations of Articles 353 and 355 of the Revised Penal Code (Libel) in relation to Section 4(c)(4) of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. The RTC also issued an arrest warrant for Yap, but this was lifted after the director posted ₱20,000 bail.

Yap’s legal counsel, Atty. Raymond Fortun, confirmed the plea and announced that a mandatory mediation conference will take place before the case proceeds to its first hearing on August 19.

“Merong tinatawag na mediation proceedings. Mandatory po ito,” Fortun said. “At during the mediation ay sisikapin ng mediator na magkasundo ang mga partido.”

Sotto’s lawyer, Atty. Enrique Dela Cruz, however, said that his client prefers the case to go to trial. “The last time we spoke, he said, let’s proceed to trial. Let the courts decide,” Dela Cruz told the media.

When asked about Yap’s plea during a separate engagement, Vic Sotto offered a short but telling remark: “O, di good,” followed by a more serious note: “Hindi, I cannot talk about it kasi it’s ongoing. Ako, naniniwala ako na gumugulong ang justice system natin. So, whatever decision of the court will be, abangan na lang natin sa susunod na kabanata.”

The teaser has since been ordered removed from Yap’s social media platforms following a writ of habeas data granted by the court in favor of Sotto.

As of writing, ‘The Rapists of Pepsi Paloma’ remains unreleased, pending classification by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).