 SECTIONS Monday, June 18, 2018  TODAY'S PAPER 

NW OPINION PORT LIFTYL PRN NTRTAINMNT UIN TCHNOLOGY GLOAL NATION

AMRICA 88,767 HAR

GLOAL NTWORKING

Wa Pepi Paloma murdered?
By: Rodel Rodis - @inquirerdotnet INQUIRR.net U ureau / 12 45 AM March 15, 2014

LATT TORI MOT RAD
Pepsi Paloma, a Filipino American
NWINFO
who was born Delia Duenas Smith, Manila bishop wants ‘bad
starred in her first movie, Brown spirits’ driven out of
Malacañang
Emmanuelle, when she was only 14. JUN 18, 2018 09 03 PM
While promoting the movie several NTRTAINMNT
‘Goblin’ actor and BTOB
months later, she was gang raped by star Yook Sung-jae
three well-known Philippine TV returning to Manila
JUN 18, 2018 08 59 PM
personalities. Three years later, after starring in 9 movies when she was still NWINFO
only 17, she committed suicide. Or did she? Retired police general
Maganto dies at 70
JUN 18, 2018 08 45 PM
One of the few dailies allowed to publish during the martial law regime, the
NTRTAINMNT
Times Journal on June 1, 1985 carried the banner headline, “Pepsi Paloma
Seo Kang-joon talks about
Kills Self by Hanging.” The front page news article reported that the day being a robot in ‘Are You
Human?’
before, Pepsi Paloma’s “limp body, clad only in a flimsy yellow night gown, JUN 18, 2018 08 37 PM
was found hanging inside a closet from a three-inch thick and 36-inch long LIFTYL
Wes Anderson-curated
cotton sash.”
exhibition in Vienna
teased at Art Basel
ADVRTIMNT JUN 18, 2018 08 27 PM

FROM AROUND THE WEB

10 Big Tech Stocks

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. To find out more, please click
this link. That Are Surprising
Bargains Right Now
Trendingstock Today
I Agree
I Bet You Can Not
Spot The
 p
Differences In…
 SECTIONS Monday, June 18, 2018  TODAY'S PAPER 
WittyFeed

Pfc. Willy Borgonia, the officer in charge of the Quezon City police Solon on Duterte’s
directive vs
investigation at the scene, told reporters that his “suicide” conclusion was
‘tambays’: Is this…
based on the presence of the cotton sash around the victim’s neck and the
discovery of her personal diary which indicated that she was depressed
Duterte: Search for
because of “monetary problems.” oil fueling China’s
activities in West…

Recommended by

Ellen Adarna passes out during ‘naked’ Duterte visits maid scalded by employer’s
photo shoot mother in Riyadh
Recommended by

There is no record that the Quezon City police checked for any fingerprints
around the closet to determine if there was any foul play involved. There
was no report of the presence of any stool or box inside the closet to provide
some indication of how the victim managed to hang herself. There was also
no attempt to verify if the handwriting of the diary actually belonged to
Pepsi Paloma.

It was an open and shut case as far as Private First Class Willy Borgonia was
concerned so there was no need to bother with forensic crime scene
investigation. Except that Pepsi’s manager, Babette Corcuerra, disputed the
official police explanation of “monetary problems” as the cause of her
alleged suicide.

“She was earning well and was fully booked for dancing performances. She
just finished the Pepsi Paloma Show at the Bughaw and 10 other
beerhouses” which paid her at least 2500 pesos per performance (a large
sum in 1985) and she had three film offers lined up, Corcuerra said.

Even though she was only 17, Pepsi had adopted a 4 month old son whom
she was reportedly very close to. She wanted to provide for this child what
she did not have. From all indications, Pepsi Paloma was a remarkably
responsible young girl, not the type who would just loop a sash around her
neck and just kill herself.

Corcuerra told the Times Journal that Pepsi was so looking forward to
celebrating her 18th birthday the next year. “She even made me promise to
throw a big party for her at a hotel because it would be her debut,”
Corcuerra added.

One reader recalls attending the funeral wake of Pepsi Paloma when he was
only 9 years old and noticing visible marks around her neck which
 y y g
indicated to him that she
Junewas “strangled”. Even a 9 year old boy knew then
 SECTIONS Monday, 18, 2018
that a cotton sash could not have caused the marks he saw around her neck.
 TODAY'S PAPER 

A friend used to joke that it was a waste of time to use metal detectors on
Filipinos traveling to the US because Filipinos do not blow themselves up in
planes.“It’s not in the DNA of Filipinos to commit suicide,” he observed.
Even Filipino Muslim jihadists in the Philippines detonate bombs from a
distance rather than blow themselves up“, he added.

ADVRTIMNT

Generally, only those suffering from severe mental depressions are likely to
commit suicide and there was no indication that Pepsi Paloma was
experiencing bouts of clinical depression that would cause her to end her
life.

So if she did not commit suicide, was she murdered?

Pepsi Paloma was only 14 years old when she and another actress named
Guada Guarin reported that they were drugged in a bar and brought to a
room at the Sulo Hotel in Quezon City where they were “gang raped” by
Joey De Leon, Vic Sotto and Richie D’Horsie, the comedian hosts of the
popular TV show “Eat Bulaga!”

Pepsi Paloma reported her gang rape to her mother who contacted the
police authorities where it made the headlines of the dailies. But the police
would not file criminal charges against the rapists unless and until Pepsi
Paloma hired a private prosecutor to pursue the criminal case. Pepsi sought
the help of then Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile who referred her to
Rene Cayetano, the lead attorney of the ACCRA law offices, who agreed to
represent Paloma for free.

But while Cayetano was preparing to

file the formal complaint with the
police authorities, Pepsi Paloma was
suddenly reported missing. In 1982
martial law Philippines, no one got
abducted or “salvaged” unless it was
done by the Metrocom Intelligence
Security Group (MISG) led by
notorious human rights violators Col
notorious human rights violators Col.

 SECTIONS
Rolando Abadilla and June
Monday, Capt.
18,Panfilo
2018
 TODAY'S PAPER 
Lacson and they did not abduct Pepsi
Paloma. Assigned the task of finding
Pepsi Paloma, Abadilla and Lacson
knew exactly where to find Pepsi
Paloma.

They tracked down Bienvenido

Mendoza known infamously as “Ben
Ulo”and their suspicion proved accurate when they found Pepsi Paloma
held captive by Ben Ulo. They knew he was the likely suspect because he
was known as the main enforcer of the Castelo clan which is on the
maternal side of the Sotto family.

Ben Ulo had been sentenced to life imprisonment for the June 15, 1953
murder of Manuel P. Monroy who was a prosecution witness against then
Secretary of National Defense Oscar Castelo (the uncle of Vic and Tito Sotto).
The Philippine Supreme Court affirmed his murder conviction on May 30,
1964 (G.R. No. L-10774) but it is not certain how much time he actually spent
in prison.

Ben Ulo readily confessed to Col. Abadilla that he was an “accomplice of the
Castelos”. Despite his arrest and confession, however, there is no record
that Ben Ulo was ever charged with any crime connected with the
abduction of Pepsi Paloma.

After her rescue, Pepsi reported that Tito Sotto visited her and “coerced” her
(by reportedly placing a pistol on the table in front of her) into signing an
“affidavit of desistance” for her not to press rape charges against Sotto’s
brother and his cohorts.

In exchange for the dismissal of the rape charges, Joey De Leon, Vic Sotto
and Richie D’Horsie issued a public apology to Pepsi Paloma which was
published in the People’s Journal on October13. 1982:

“We hope that you will not allow the error we have committed against
you to stand as a stumbling block to that future which we all look
forward to. We therefore ask you to find it in your heart to pardon us
for the wrong which we have done against you.”

In the Philippines, people do not commit crimes, they only commit “errors”.
It was simply an “error” for Joey, Vic and Richie to drug a 14-year old minor
and then gang rape her.

If this “error” had occurred in the US, the perpetrators would have been
charged and sentenced to the maximum allowed by law and that wouldn’t
even be their worst fate. While in prison, they would likely be “gang raped”
or even killed by convicts who rate child molesters and child rapists the
lowest of the low, the most depraved of the depraved. If they somehow
managed to survive their incarceration, they would be required to register
 g y q g
as “sex offenders” in every place they move to for the rest of their sorry
 SECTIONS Monday, June 18, 2018
lives.
 TODAY'S PAPER 

If this “error” had occurred in India, well it actually did. On December 16,
2012, in New Delhi, a 23-year old female intern was beaten and gang raped
by five men. The woman later died from the beating in a case that ignited
widespread protests all over India. The perpetrators were arrested and
charged with sexual assault and murder. One of them hung himself while in
police custody; the rest went to trial and were found guilty and sentenced to
death by hanging. [Coincidentally, this week the Delhi High Court affirmed
their death sentences.]

But there were no protests in the

Philippines against the gang rape of
Pepsi Paloma in 1982 and no calls for
an independent investigation of the
mysterious circumstances
surrounding her death in 1985. No
charges were ever filed against any of
her rapists or abductors.

Instead, 57-year old Vic Sotto is the

reigning box-office king of Philippine movies and has been linked
romantically to a succession of beautiful actresses from Dina Bonnevie and
Pia Guanio to Pauline Luna.

Joey de Leon was 36 years old when he participated in the gang rape of 14
year old Pepsi Paloma, who was young enough to be his daughter.

There were very few commentaries about the rape of Pepsi Paloma at the
time but one was found by former Sen. Heherson Alvarez who posted it on
his blog: “Tito Sotto’s talent in politics was first tested in October 1982 when
he spearheaded the settlement for the rape case filed by sexy stars Pepsi
Paloma and Guada Guarin against Tito’s younger brother Vic Sotto and his
“Eat Bulaga” co-hosts Joey de Leon and Richie D’Horsie.” (Talk Show, Fundy
C. Soriano).”

Vicente “Tito” Castelo Sotto parlayed his “talent in politics” into a successful
run for Vice Mayor of Quezon City in 1988 followed by two successive terms
in the Philippine Senate from 1992 to 2004 and then another senate election
in 2010 and possible reelection 2016.

Would Tito Sotto have enjoyed his political success and Vic Sotto and Joey de
Leon their commercial success if Pepsi Paloma had still been alive to serve
as a constant reminder to the public about her gang rape when she was just
14? Who knows?

When my article http://globalnation.inquirer.net/99861/the-rape-of-

pepsi-paloma was published in the Inquirer online edition on March 5,
2014, I expected some response from the TVJ principals. But none of them
responded to deny any of the assertions of the article although a number of
 SECTIONS Monday, June 18, 2018
their rabid fans rose to their defense by wildly speculating on what my  TODAY'S PAPER 
motivation may be for bringing up the issue now.

To them, I quote Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “The arc of the moral universe
may be long but it bends towards justice.”

One fan of Tito, Vic and Joey even used the name “Jim Paredes” to defend
his idols. The real Jim Paredes immediately posted on his Facebook page
that an impostor had maliciously used his name to express a sentiment he
did not share. The real Jim Paredes wrote: “I also wish to say that like many
people, I believe Pepsi Paloma did not get justice.”

So far, over 128,000 people have expressed a similar sentiment and

downloaded and shared my Pepsi Paloma article on their Facebook pages. It
has officially gone viral. Perhaps it will spur a movement to boycott Eat
Bulaga and the show’s advertisers to finally retire it after 35 long years.
Perhaps people will now openly talk about what happened to Pepsi Paloma.

There was no social media and no free press in the Philippines in 1982
when a 14 year old minor was gang raped nor in 1985 when a 17 year old
girl with a 4 month old adopted son committed “suicide”. There is no excuse
for silence now, for perpetuating the culture of impunity.

Justice for Pepsi Paloma.

(Send comments to Rodel50@gmail.com or mail them to the Law Offices of

Rodel Rodis at 2429 Ocean Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94127 or call
415.334.7800).

Don't miss out on the latest news and information.

Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles,
share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social
media. Call 896 6000.

RECOMMENDED

Mac Antivirus You want to have

(2018) - Which #1 amazing body ,
Antivirus Does… well this is how…
My Antivirus Review www.amazing-body-
today.com

36 Reasons That Recto on Cayetano

Prove Visiting resignation at DFA:
 Prove Visiting resignation at DFA:
Australia Can Be… A ‘wrong move’
 SECTIONS Monday, June 18, 2018
WittyFeed  TODAY'S PAPER 

Comic Pangilinan Lawmaker

unmasked— to PNP: says
behind the… Loitering … President…

8 Mythical Mac Manhattan’s

Creatures running Luxury Real
Existed in… slowly?… Estate…
WittyFeed mackeeper.com Mansion
Global

Clock ticks for 34 Epic Before And

Sister Patricia Fox: After Photos Of
Is she leaving or… People Which Ar…
WittyFeed

Tito Sotto Kris Aquino China not a

denies opens up reliable,
whitewash… about son… friendly al…

14 Hilarious Kendall Sign Up

Truths Jenner Buys Today:
About… Emily Blu… Enjoy…
WittyFeed Mansion PayPal
Global

Think You Had A MPBL warns Parks

Bad Day? This after controversial
Model's Pictures… statements
WittyFeed

Lolit Solis LOOK: KC Korean Air

receives Concepcion heiress
almost 500… turns up t… questione…
 SECTIONS Monday, June 18, 2018
10 Sad Signs Julia OncoDNA,  TODAY'S PAPER 
that Show Roberts’ Kura
Your Love… Secluded… Oncology…
WittyFeed Mansion GenomeWeb
Global

TAGS: Delia Duenas Smith, Eat Bulaga, gang rape, injustice, Justice, murder,
Pepsi Paloma, suicide

For feedback, complaints, or inquiries, contact us.

Disclaimer: Comments do not represent the views of INQUIRER.net. We reserve the right to exclude comments which
are inconsistent with our editorial standards. FULL DISCLAIMER

Report ad

Comments for this thread are now closed. ×

Comments Community 
1 Login

Sort by Newest
 Recommend 41 ⤤ Share
AsoAkoNangMgaIntsik • 4 years ago
....so ayon na ang mga Demonyo sa lipunan...Tito,Vic,Joey
and Bong Revilla...noticed something?
31 △ ▽ • Share ›

Jun Romey • 4 years ago You May Like Sponsored Links 

Ang nakakarami ang masusunod. Ito ang nag didikta kung Play this Game for 1 Minute and see why
ano magiging normal pag dating ng panahon. everyone is addicted
Delta Wars
1△ ▽ • Share ›

7Rodel77 • 4 years ago

New Site Finds the Cheapest Flights in
From Conrado deQuiros: "Miriam Santiago had an Seconds!
interesting piece of advice to graduates. They didn’t have to FlightFinder

wait until they could vote, she said, to be able to

remove the scammers from public office. “Shame them now.
by Taboola    
Take your
campaign to Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr. Post your
grievances on these
politicians’ walls. Tweet them your disappointments.
Eventually, these You
0 pts VS MODE
politicians will shed their thick hides because of the shame,
and reveal
 and reveal

 SECTIONS
themselves
19 △
to be spineless
Monday,
▽ • Share ›
pathetic creatures.”
June 18, 2018
 TODAY'S PAPER 
How did the Montreal Expos get
their team nickname?
Comments continue after advertisement

The French Word For Ball

The World's Fair

The Governor Of Quebec

A Canadian Bird

NicAsShow • 4 years ago

Boycott ko na ang eat bulaga, boycott ko rin si vhong
navarro. Ang panonoorin ko ang tv5.
14 △ ▽ • Share ›

nicknick_9 • 4 years ago

I'm sure si peter potoy, hagakhak at noel mga bayaran nina
Tito, vic & joey. very obvious yong mga comments nila na
paninira kay atty. rodis.
10 △ ▽ • Share ›

Noel > nicknick_9 • 4 years ago

Kung binabasa mo ang mga naunang mga komento
ko, talagang asar ako sa idol mo kahit ano man topic
ang isulat niya. Alam ko ang mga racket niya at
pagkatao niya.
△ ▽ • Share ›

peter potoy • 4 years ago

maybe senator lacson should shed light on the matter he
was mentioned. Sec Lacson is perceived to be an honest
and as police officer then he was not afraid to go against
criminals. hope he would say something on this incident.
15 △ ▽ • Share ›

Noel > peter potoy • 4 years ago

Unfortunately, Lacson and Rodis are bitter enemies.
1△ ▽ • Share ›

This comment was deleted.

Avatar

boypalaban > Guest • 4 years ago

totoo o hindi yung ginawa kay pepsi paloma?
8△ ▽ • Share ›

Noel > Guest • 4 years ago

That's what I've been suggesting long ago; but this
Rodis prefers that he barks from SF so he shall be
safe.
3△ ▽ • Share ›

Guest > Noel • 4 years ago

Safe from what, utoy? All he's saying are
 Safe from what, utoy? All he s saying are
facts.
 SECTIONS Monday, June 18, 2018
12 △ ▽ • Share ›
 TODAY'S PAPER 

This comment was deleted.

Avatar

batang_singalong > Guest

• 4 years ago
anong sisirain kung may sense ang
sinasabi niya?
17 △ ▽ • Share ›

Saigon Kick > Guest • 4 years ago

Alin ang hindi totoo sa mga sinasabi
nya?
12 △ ▽ • Share ›

GMGuerrero > Noel • 4 years ago

A redneck was asked "what's a gun"? He
answered, "its one of them things that barks
over hyah and bites over yondah."

Got it? Rodis has a big bite over yondah. A

big gun.
4△ ▽ • Share ›

AlejandrinoY • 4 years ago

Paging, Secretary of Justice Leila de Lima. Please look into
the case of Pepsi Paloma and give justice to her death.
Punish those who are responsible for her death. Shame on
you Vic, Joey and Ritchie. Daig pa pala ninyo ang mga
hayop.
31 △ ▽ • Share ›

Noel > AlejandrinoY • 4 years ago

It depends if that would boost her political ambition.
There's report that De Lima is eyeing a senatorial
seat in 2016.
2△ ▽ • Share ›

Mr. Troliling • 4 years ago

What is worse the video scandal of Wally or the gang rape
of the trio? Walang closure eto kahit anong pagtatakip ang
gawin nila. A crime is a crime no matter how we sugar coat
it.
24 △ ▽ • Share ›

batang_singalong > Mr. Troliling • 4 years ago

I was only in elementary when the news broke out.
Everyone in our street are in agreement that Pepsi
was due for justice as a rape victim and secondly as
murder victim.
Funny why no one among the Sotto bros are
laughing at this.
11 △ ▽ • Share ›

Comments continue after advertisement

 SECTIONS Monday, June 18, 2018
 TODAY'S PAPER 

Jeanmichel Jarre • 4 years ago

justice for pepsi paloma...GOD is watching
24 △ ▽ • Share ›

Noel > Jeanmichel Jarre • 4 years ago

But the Devil is watching the three.
7△ ▽ • Share ›

Jeanmichel Jarre > Noel • 4 years ago

perhaps..now 4....
8△ ▽ • Share ›

Jeanmichel Jarre • 4 years ago

justice for pepsi paloma...GOD is watching
9△ ▽ • Share ›

Laundryman • 4 years ago

The typical spoiled brats. Hindi ba 'yang senador na kapatid
ng isa sa mga rapists eh nainvolved na rin sa drugs noon?
Have we ran out of decent showbiz and political
personalities that we continue to glorify rapists, plunderers,
drug addicts and plagiarists? May God intervenes, 'cause
this society is fast sinking in a very deep and dirty morass.
36 △ ▽ • Share ›

Islander • 4 years ago

My condolence to those who continue to mourn Pepsi
Paloma. May she eventually find justice that was so cruelly
denied from her.
35 △ ▽ • Share ›

mesack • 4 years ago

Matagal ng misteryo ang kasong ito. sana idagdag na rin
ang fact na minor sya at nagsasayaw na sya sa mga
beerhouse. knowing na 14 years old lang sya. diba dapat
kasuhan din ang manager nya ng pambubugaw? ang parent
nya dapat may pananagutan din. ang mga producer na nag
exploit sa kanya.
△ ▽ • Share ›

white scorpion • 4 years ago

personally, plastic ang tingin ko sa three stooges na ito.
nagpapatawa sila at the expense of others. i'd just read half
of the storey. but, it's already have enough reason to dispise
them some more. corney ang tingin ko sa talent nila.
unfortunately, we have a crowd of easily cowed.
27 △ ▽ • Share ›

This comment is awaiting moderation. Show comment.

white scorpion > Jun Romey • 4 years ago

pardon me, but i'm confident with my self
control. besides, ayaw kong mang-
agrabiyado ng tao
 agrabiyado ng tao.

 SECTIONS 10 △
Monday, • Share
▽18,
June 2018 ›
 TODAY'S PAPER 
RICHARD • 4 years ago
4. is Tito sotto influential during that time?
7△ ▽ • Share ›

Paking > RICHARD • 4 years ago

With a gun in front of you, YES!
13 △ ▽ • Share ›

RICHARD > Paking • 4 years ago

AH
4△ ▽ • Share ›

RICHARD • 4 years ago

3. Since, I was unable to find the whole article in the net;
How accurate is the said article? Did it also mention that the
3 went down to their knees at national tv?
2△ ▽ • Share ›

RICHARD • 4 years ago

2. Let us say sir that She was murdered, how can we be
sure that it was the 3 alleged rapists are the one directly
responsible?
2△ ▽ • Share ›

batang_singalong > RICHARD • 4 years ago

thats why long overdue investigation should be done,
relevant evidences as well as pertinent witnesses be
heard. Only then will we know what really happened.
6△ ▽ • Share ›

RICHARD > batang_singalong • 4 years ago

until such time, there is no evidence directly
linking the 3?
1△ ▽ • Share ›

RICHARD • 4 years ago

This issue is interesting as it goes viral, However, Atty. Rodel
Rodis may we be clarified on the following matters:
1."In exchange for the dismissal of the rape charges, Joey
De Leon, Vic Sotto and Richie D’Horsie issued a public
apology to Pepsi Paloma which was published in the
People’s Journal on October 13. 1982:
“We hope that you will not allow the error we have
committed against you to stand as a stumbling block to that
future which we all look forward to. We therefore ask you to
find it in your heart to pardon us for the wrong which we
have done against you.” Is this the same time when these
alleged rapists went down on their knees in there show eat
bulaga as previously stated in your previous article? "As a
result of Pepsi’s signed affidavit of desistance, no criminal
charges were filed against the three comedian rapists even
after they went down on their knees on their show “Eat
Bulaga!” and asked forgiveness from Pepsi Paloma for
raping her when she was only 14."

Assuming it is, I'm still puzzled why the other newspapers or

other media in particular did not cover this sensational
issue? It could had been the news of the day at that time.
7△ ▽ • Share ›
 SECTIONSWhoMonday,  TODAY'S PAPER 
kokak > RICHARD • 4 years ago
June 18, 2018
said it wasn't covered by other newspapers?

Whatever, it was front page in one the largest

newspapers at the time, the Manila Times Journal..
not only on tabloids..
.
14 △ ▽ • Share ›

Noel > kokak • 4 years ago

That's right. And the ones saying that were
not even born yet at that time.
△ ▽ • Share ›

Carol Brigando • 4 years ago

These rapists, De Leon and Sotto not only got away with a
downright rape conviction but also continue to prosper and
enjoy fame and power. They are the lowest and filthiest of all
mankind. Crime does not pay and I believe that one day
they will get what they deserve.
47 △ ▽ • Share ›

white scorpion > Carol Brigando • 4 years ago

definitely.....
19 △ ▽ • Share ›

vice ganda • 4 years ago

ang title eh was pepsi paloma murdered? nung binasa ko

Report ad
  SECTIONS Monday, June 18, 2018
 TODAY'S PAPER 

TH INQUIRR CHANNL RVIC TH INQUIRR COMPANY PARTNR

News Sitemap About INQUIRER.net Libre

Sports Mobile About the INQUIRER Hinge Inquirer

Entertainment RSS User Agreement Bandera

Lifestyle Email Us Link Policy Cebu Daily News

Technology Archive Privacy Policy DZIQ990 AM

Business Contact Us Article Index Motion Cars

Opinion Advertise

Global Nation News Letter

Job Openings

© Copyright 1997-2018 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved