Recalling Senator Tito Sotto’s Pepsi Paloma connection

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Pepsi Paloma was best known as one of the “softdrink” beauties along with starlets Coca Nicolas and Sarsi Emmanuel in Philippine Cinema of the early eighties. Her career and life were tragically cut short after an unfortunate alleged crossing of paths with comedy stars and noontime variety show personalities Joey de Leon, Richie d’Horsey, and Vic Sotto. Vic Sotto is the brother of now Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto who himself was a famous showbiz celebrity. The man who was to become Senator of the Republic starred alongside his brother Vic and Joey de Leon in various productions. The trio are well-known for their billing as “Tito Vic and Joey” with d’Horsey often joining them in supporting roles…

Although Tito, Vic and Joey started their trio via Discorama and Student Canteen, it was the sitcom Iskul Bukol that gave them nationwide fame as comedians. Soon after, other TV and movie producers came knocking on the trio’s door. In 1979, Tito, Vic and Joey started hosting for the noontime show Eat Bulaga! which was pitted against the more established Student Canteen hosted by their former colleague (and now competitor) Bobby Ledesma. Not long after, Eat Bulaga! toppled Student Canteen from the ratings.

In 1982, Paloma who was aged fifteen at the time reportedly approached then Philippine Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile for help, claiming she was raped by de Leon, d’Horsey, and Sotto. Enrile referred Paloma to the law firm Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz Law Offices (ACCRA) where the late former Senator Rene Cayetano was at the time a senior partner. Cayetano took the job of legal counsel to Paloma in a move that would catapult him into the media sportlight of the time…

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[…] Rene Cayetano first gained prominence in 1982 when he served as pro bono counsel of the late sexy starlet Pepsi Paloma, then 15 years old, who said she was molested by television hosts Vic Sotto, Joey de Leon and Richie d’ Horsey.

Apparently Cayetano did not have much of a chance to show off his attack-litigation skills in this case after some sort of deal was brokered behind the scenes…

The case was amicably settled after Vic’s brother, Vicente Sotto III — now a senator and personal campaign manager of presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. — intervened, prompting the three celebrities to issue a public apology in open.

There was speculation at the time that the fallout from the episode severely impacted Paloma’s career after producers would no longer touch the starlet with a ten-foot pole following the incident. Amazingly, the careers in the entertainment industry of the accused continued to flourish despite the scandal (and, of course, Tito Sotto went on to become a powerful Philippine Senator) — a testament to the deeply ingrained culture of impunity in the Philippines. Paloma reportedly went on to hang herself under circumstances which, like most of her life, were presumably “shrouded in mystery”.

Could Paloma’s descent into showbiz persona non grata status after the close of the case have precipitated a slide into suicidal depression? More to the point: Did the famous comedy trio of Tito Vic and Joey along with D’Horsey have anything to do with a possible blacklisting of Paloma in the industry?

Whatever it was, and if the hands of the Sotto brothers somehow had a place within the “mysterious” circumstances of Paloma’s demise, the ultimate outcome — the case simply going away, in every sense of the phrase — certainly favoured the boys in this instance.

67 Replies to “Recalling Senator Tito Sotto’s Pepsi Paloma connection”

  1. What made it the more fatal is she’s just a baby,
    a kid at that. Tenderloin in the hands of maniacal Pinokyos wherein his male ego dictates of machoness;
    contrary, it is actually predatory in nature rampant
    in Da Pinas society regardless of stature. Nothing new, the moneyed silenced their deed by all means, and what gets published in the salivating public eyes is nothing more but a showcase. The poor and ignorant who have nothing except those attributed with good ass-et al, To Whose Learning Were Of Wowowiee And Dramaticons Based, aspire to be upthere in economic totempole [by working a man’s St.Paul -their prayful altar of salvation] clamor to showbiz as their choice. Then there are those rarity -if it is- belonging to the educated class lured in the same claptrap endup in the long run as mere breeding sow, as overheared: “Maganda, me kaya ang familya, atsaka educated sa primera ‘ng klaseng unibersidad, pero ‘yon pala, Tanga!” Even the elites have their share of madness, Kriscross breakeven to some extent.

      1. i agree with u and coocs. ang dali nmn sana intindihin ng comment nya kung gumamit nalang ng mas madadaling words diba. OA ang pagkashowcase ni Vertud sa kanyang literary talent.

    1. To Steve and to Coocs, nagulat ako sa reaction nyo.
      I get what Virtud is trying to say,
      The grammar is impecable, too deep for the uninformed to comprehend though.

      1. u got it the first time u read it? or kelangn mo pang iabsorb bawat word to understand it? aminin, mhirap sha intindihin even for informed and highly educated persons. I disagree that Virtud’s grammar is impeccable. Choice of words, maybe. But grammar, i don’t think so.

      2. Impeccable grammar? I counted several in the first few sentences. Besides, you do understand that grammar entails both proper syntax and semantics, right? It was far from impeccable. It was an attempt to display intellectual superiority that backfired. Even the word choices were ludicrous. That or Virtud is an awesome troll.

        Anyway, s/he could have sent a better message if s/he did it in Tagalog. You may have understood it, but I was too annoyed at the attempt to even finish reading the damn comment. Not that I have anything against people trying, I just can’t approve of anyone saying it’s impeccable when it’s clearly not.

        1. hahaha, agree! there’s no such word as “machoness”. unless it’s something invented out of ignorance that the correct term is ‘machismo’ or maybe nakita urban dictionary. hanuvey masyado kasing pa-intelektwal… si hackademik naman nilagay pa sa pedestal si virtud, katawa

      3. hackademic,haha. katawa ka din! labo kya nung cnabi nya. khit ang matalino magrereklamo sa knyang choice of words. dapat brief and concise 🙂

    2. Bakit po kailangan natin mamintas kung gramatically correct ang English ni Virtud? Mas mahirap po sa akin ang magsulat ng tagalog (umalis ako sa Pinas aged 12) Most of the time mas madali para sa akin ang magsulat sa English. I know both my English & Tagalog grammar is not perfect so what? Yung tao gusto lang mag-comment. Hirap kasi sa ating mga pinoy super pintasero….Ano kaya ang pintas na gawin niyo sa aking writing skills?

      1. I agree with you. The people that commented regarding grammar or whatever are not focusing on the message. I know what Virtud meant…

      2. Dami talagang feeling grammar nazis sa Pilipinas hahhahaa news flash! I dont give a fuck about what yall think because what matters is the person was able to send the message across. Fucking feeling grammar perfectionists. If I know, ang papanget ng mga mukha at ng mga ugali nyo. Funny motherfuckers get a life hahahaha

  2. Pepsi Paloma was among the exploited innocent young girl by a movie star manager. None of those young girls ever succeeded as movie star like Amalia Fuentes or Susan Roces or even of lower bracket. The reason Pepsi committed suicide was her feeling unloved. There were many of suicide in entertainment world like her. Remember Marilyn Monroe?

    1. JERICHO… YOU MAY BE A HOMOSEXUAL..BUT ARE YOU SURE THAT IT WAS NOT YOUR PENIS, THAT IS BONING YOUR ASS..??

  3. e bold star nman din cya e. kung ginalang nya katawan nya at ndi binilad sa madla e di irerespeto p cya. nababastos ang babae dhil sa sarili nya.

    1. maimai babae ka pa naman. alam mo bold star man o hindi, puta o hindi, sana marunong rumespeto ang mga lalaki at hindi mambastos at manggahasa. hindi ang babae ang may kasalanan kung bakit nababastos. sadyang may mga lalaking bastos at imoral. wag sanang mangyari sayo yan. baka magulat ka kung kinoconsider mong kagalang galang ka at magahasa ka. kakainin mo ang sinabi mo.

      1. minsan nasa babae rin yan,irespeto muna nya sarili nya bago sya mag-expect ng respeto mula sa ibang tao.tama ka sadyang may mga lalaking bastos at imoral,pero kung ang tao ay hindi kagalang-galang at walang respeto sa sarili,natural lamang na mabastos sya. peace……

        1. Sa mga taong nag comment at pinapalabas na kasalanan pa ni pepsi ang nangyari sa kanya—kahit si magdalena ginalang ni hesus na syang may karapatan sanang manghusga, iginalang at nirespeto nya ito. Kayong maliliit ang utak manahimik kayo kung wala kayong mabuting masasabi. Salamat

        2. Your ignorance is just through the roof. Stop victim shaming – rape doesn’t happen because women choose to dress or act a certain way – rape happens because some men choose to be rapists. They choose to force their dicks into innocent girls instead of just relieving themselves in their private time. Raping someone is a conscious action and decision – it’s never an accident.

        3. sir richard, your logic is incomprehensible. your reasoning is one of the reasons why there are so many victims of rape, molestation, and abuse who’s cries of injustice and pain are silenced. they are made to believe it was their fault and that they deserve the violence done to them. reasoning such as yours will leave your hands just as dirty as those who did the evil deed, for you have clamped your hands over the cries of those who are being victimized and turned your back on those who deserve justice and salvation.

        4. nasa babae? kanino ba ung t*t* na pinipilit ipasok, may ganun ba ang babae? May utak namn kayong lalaki di ba at morally mali ang mamilit ng babae o ng khit na sino na makipagsex, pag tumayo kasi yan, si mariang palad na lang kasi istorbohin nio. Ito ang mahirap sa pilipinas dapat ba nakadepende sa actions ng babae ang ugali ng lalaki, wala ba kyong utak? Benta na natin sa mga laboratory baka magkaroon ng gamut sa utak biya na kagaya mo.

    2. broaded your mind, kapwa babae pa naman kita, alam mo ba sa ibang bansa, di ba tinitingala natin ang U.S. akala natin mga pakawala sila kasi kung makipagsex ganun ganun na lng. Pero kahit ganun sila, mahalaga sa kanila ung “consent” alam mo yung hindi ipipilit ng lalaki kung sabihin ng babae na “no” kasi pag ganun rape na yun at big deal na sa kanila un justice must be served. At ang issue dun is hindi ung pananamit ng babae or ugali niya, kundi ung pag-say nia ng “no” at pinilit siya, un ang rape. Since gaya gaya narin naman tayo, bakit hindi mga ganun ang ginagaya natin sa kanila?

      1. ahamp,,,walang kwenta na ang pinas ngayon,,kagalang galang na tao ang sya pang gumawa ng kabalastugan,,,
        saan na ang pagbabago,,ito buh ang tinatawag na pagbabago,pagbabago ng mga buhay nila,,saan na ang ating pangulo na nagsasabi na baguhin ang bansa natin,,sana naman unahin nila ang kahirapan para walang taong gagawa ng krimen,,sana maisip nila yon ang mga taong naghihirap kaysa sa kanilang sarili,,

        1. pera2x puro nalang pera,,ang mga karapatan hindi nalang bilangin,,perde bang harap harapan na nating harapin ang mga tunay nating kasalanan,,para

  4. ay nako pinagtakpan lang yan nila kasi my pera sila!!! They can do anything because they have all the resource.Kawawa ang bata! imagine 15years old..lang puso! They are wolves!

  5. Marami nakong nababasa tungkol sa case na to and seriously nakaka-bigla.Hindi ko mauwasan na di maapektuhan. Nakka-inis namn kung sino pa yung tao may backgriund pa ng ganian at parang wala lang nangyare sa nakikita ko ngaun.. Pepsi is haunting them right now

  6. Why is Vic Sotto, an admitted child gang raper, so popular??? His crime in raping Pepsi Paloma with Joey de Leon and Richie d’Horsey could have gotten him executed back in 1982. Instead, Paloma is dead and Sotto is rich, famous and powerful. There is no justice in the Philippines.

    1. Filipino trademark. trumpet useless trivial things like Pacquaio, Jessica Sanchez and Charice. Yet no corresponding shame in important things like unsolved murder and murder period. I forgot the guy’s name. His wife became president three years after he died. His son became president only because of his last name and the fact his mother died before campaign season. The guy has his face on the 500 peso bill and his name on the airport where he was killed. If that guy does not get justice for being killed what about the rest of us?

      1. Who are you blaming? His wife and his son had the power to investigate and pursue justice, but did not do anything. Their family is their own enemy.

  7. Come again Virtud? Understood it though, but there are so many semantic errors with it.

    Anyway that’s how things goes here in the Philippines, money pays it all, even to extent of oppressing the weary more.

  8. @virtud was able to express himself in English. He’s fluent but not proficient at all. For him to become an effective communicator, he needs to consider the people reading his comments. I still commend him for his effort in using different expressions or words. It’s just probably his way to exercise his vocabulary. Let’s give this to him.

    About the issue, it’s really intriguing. I can only say to statements: “The victim is the witness of the case.” However, “decision has already been made.”

  9. The case was settled. In short, we’ll never know what really happened. Was it really rape or an attempt by Pepsi Paloma to extort money from Tito, Vic and Joey? If it was really rape, then, Paloma shouldn’t have settled but pursued the case until the 4 comedians were jailed. Well, we will never know as Pepsi hanged herself.

    1. she was 14(?) at that time, ako nung fourteen ako, aanga anga pa ko at kung sakali ma-rape ako nun, siguro ma-shoshock ako kasi di ko pa gaano alam ang sex nun… why are you so judgmental on the young woman… victim blaming much na naman?

  10. How come Pepsi committed suicide for the so-called “rape” which occurred in 1982 when she had number of movies till 1985? Maybe that even gave her fame during that time and got to star in plenty movies afterwards. She even lived together with her boyfriend who happened to discover her suicide. Bomba stars then had same stories like her and commit suicide simply because they just don’t like the kind of job and fame they have just to earn a living for their families. Struggles in life forced them to. You can even read it on blogs about her which includes about her diaries.

  11. bkit b binubuhay n nman ngaun tong issue n toh?anu b tlaga ang motibo nyo? panahon p yta ni Marcos nangyare ito n mas mhigpit ang batas militar kesa s batas ngaun…bkit ngaun pilit n hinuhukay ito?

  12. If this was true I would not be surprised. Showbiz and politics are hotbeds of scum and villainy. Remember the Pepsi was what? 14-18 at that time, she was nothing but a child who can be easily manipulated.

  13. bakit pa hinukay ang rape case na ito..base sa nabasa ko,nag bigti sya dahil sa financial problem at sa family nya…….marami daw gastusin..yung rape case na sinampa nya laban kay vic at joey,baka she needs more money….nagbigti siguro sya dahil sa kasinungalingang bintang nya sa dalawa…she made that for money…….atsaka money talaga kilangan nya..at her aged 14….napakabata nya para maging boldstar……she still needs parental guidance from her parents..o baka ang parents mukhang pera din…….nowadays rape is useless kasi ginagawa for money or fame……useless na yan….

    1. Sana di ang mga anak at apo ang magbabayad… noong panahon ng martial law kasi people who are well-connected to the powers-that-be at that time ay nakakalusot sa ano mang klaseng kaso, even rape, with impunity – by simply issuing and publishing an apology letter… Pro si Lord na lang ang bahala sa mga taong nag gang-rape at pumatay kay Pepsi… “Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord”.

    2. you madam have a scary mindset, rape is useless? You know ung mabiktima nga ng holdaper nakakatrauma na, paano pa ung pinilit ka makipagsex, binaboy yung katawan at malamang super masakit yun kasi pinuwersa at baka virgin pa ang victim, kung hindi pinatay yung victim nakakatrauma extreme yun, and that is useless, Philippines is f***** up because of people with mindset like yours.

  14. Si Guada Guarin nasaan na siya? Di ba kasama siya ni Paloma nung nangyari ang insidente? Bakit di tanungin si Guada? For sure buhay pa siya ngayon o kung di man mga kamag-anak niya na possible na share-an niya ng kwento tungkol sa insidente.

  15. sa mga boploks na mawindang sa comment ni virtud.

    potek, andlandi nyo.

    walang obligasyon kahit sino na magsulat sa paraan na maiintindihan ng mabababaw na madlang people tulad nyo. kung di nyo nagets manahimik nalang kayo. wag nyo sayanging oras naman kaka scrolldown para lang maiwasan mga nakaka-facepalm na comments tulad ng ginagawa nyo

    #facepalmPaMoreMgaLeche.

  16. JUSTICE FOR THE RICH AND POWERFUL… MOST COURT DECISIONS END UP TO AMICABLE SETTLEMENTS… WHY??? WHAT KIND IS WHEN THERE’S A JUDGE, A PROSECUTOR (FIXCAL), DEFENSE ATTORNEY OR PAO, AND… NO JURY !!!! ONLI IN DA PILIPENIS !!!

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