January 14, 2025 | 11:05am
MANILA, Philippines — A Muntinlupa court has ordered all parties involved in the cyber libel case against director Darryl Yap not to disclose or discuss the case proceedings or any related matters.
The Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 205 granted the gag order in response to Yap’s urgent motion filed on January 10.
“The Petitioner and any person acting for and on behalf of the petitioner are enjoined from publicly disclosing or discussing the contents of the verified return to be submitted by the respondents in this case, as well as any matters learned from the proceedings of this case,” the court’s order read.
“All parties are directed to observe strict confidentiality in compliance with the sub judice rule, ensuring that the case proceedings and any related matters remain undisclosed to the public until resolved,” it added.
The court also clarified that it has not yet ruled on actor Vic Sotto’s habeas data petition, which seeks to take down materials related to the film at the center of the actor’s complaint.
“The petitioner mistakenly believed that the issuance of the writ already constituted the granting of the relief sought in their petition for a writ of habeas data,” it said.
The court explained that issuing the writ is purely procedural and directs the respondents to submit a verified return. It added that the requested relief in the petition would be addressed only after a proper hearing to evaluate the case’s merits.
According to the Supreme Court, the writ of habeas data is a remedy available to any person whose right to privacy in life, liberty, or security is violated or threatened by “an unlawful act or omission of a public official or employee or of a private individual or entity engaged in the gathering, collecting or storing of data or information regarding the person, family, home and correspondence of the aggrieved party.”
The Muntinlupa court also agreed that disclosing the information could significantly impact the film’s outcome.
“The lawyers’ statements may cause to misrepresent the Court’s orders and could prejudice public perception. Ultimately, the Court’s priority would be to protect the fair administration of justice and prevent undue influence on the judicial processes,” the order read.
Meanwhile, the January 15 hearing has been rescheduled to 8:30 a.m. on January 17.
The court also instructed Sotto to submit his response to a motion for consolidation that was previously filed by Yap’s camp.
Yap had requested the court to combine the current case with the cyber libel complaints Sotto had filed with the Muntinlupa Office of the Prosecutor.
Sotto filed 19 counts of cyber libel against Yap on January 9 over alleged “malicious and defamatory statements.” He sought a total of P35 million in damages.
The complaint stemmed from Yap’s film, which allegedly portrayed Sotto as a rapist.
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