THE RAPE CASE AND DEATH OF PEPSI PALOMA

Pepsi Paloma (March 11, 1966 – May 31, 1985), born Delia Smith, was a Filipino-American dancer and actress in the Philippines. She was one of the popular Softdrinks Beauties introduced in the 1980s along with Sarsi Emmanuelle and Coca Nicolas. She was known for films such as Brown Emanuelle (1981), The Victim (1982), Krus sa Bawat Punglo (1982) and Room 69 (1985).

Paloma later became the center of a scandal involving actors Vic Sotto, Joey de Leon, and Richie D'Horsie who allegedly raped the actress who was 16 years old at the time.

She was with another actress, Guada Guarin, and there were allegedly drugged in a bar and brought to a room at the Sulo Hotel in Quezon City where the devastating allegations happened.

Actor and future senator Tito Sotto who is also Vic's older brother, soon became involved and allegedly compelled Paloma to drop the charges by intimidating her with a gun. Sotto had drawn up an Affidavit of Desistance and obtained her signature, although some newspaper reports stated that it was Pepsi’s mother who signed the document on her behalf. Had the suspects been convicted of the charges, they would face death penalty—execution by electric chair, the same fate that befell three of four convicted rapists in actress Maggie dela Riva’s case two decades prior. According to a now-unpublished article by The Philippine Daily Inquirer, it was also around this time that Paloma was reported missing, and was found being held captive by convicted felon Bienvenido "Ben Ulo" Mendoza, a relative of the Sottos. Despite his arrest and confession, there is no record that Ben Ulo was ever charged with any crime connected with the abduction of Pepsi Paloma.

Although the three suspects have initially denied Paloma's accusations, they later issued a public apology, on their knees on live TV and in an article published by the People’s Journal on October 13, 1982, saying “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.” Due to the signed Affidavit of Desistance, Paloma did not pursue her complaint and the case did not go to court.

A year after the scandal, Paloma starred in a film called The Victim where she played the role of a woman taken advantage of, reflecting the controversies of her personal life. Although the film catapulted Paloma to wider recognition, media attention and gossip from film critics served to cast her testimony as a true-life rape victim into doubt. Accusations were made that her manager Rey de la Cruz orchestrated the whole issue to exploit the actress' popularity.

On May 31, 1985, Paloma was found dead in her apartment, in an apparent suicide by hanging. According to police investigation, the rape case was one factor of her suicide. A diary, citing monetary problems and anxieties over her relationship with her mother and her boyfriend, was found in her bedroom, although the authenticity of the journal entries have been questioned, especially by her manager Babette Corcuerra who claims she is actually earning well.

Another entity from pop culture that has also sparked renewed interest, because of the revitalized Paloma rape case, is the Eraserheads pop-rock classic "Spoliarium," which is being widely referenced with the rape case particularly for its lines: "Anong sinulat ni Enteng at Joey dyan/Sa gintong salamin/Di ko na mabasa/Pagkat merong nagbura."

But Ely Buendia, frontman of the disbanded group, has emphatically denied that the song was referencing the Paloma case, saying that "Enteng" and "Joey" are actually a certain roadie and a friend of the band members.

Here are the lyrics of "Spoliarium" by Eraserheads:

Dumilim ang paligid

May tumawag sa pangalan ko

Labing isang palapag

Tinanong kung okey lang ako

Sabay abot ng baso

May naghihintay

At bakit ba pag nagsawa na ako

Biglang ayoko na

At ngayon

Di pa rin alam

Kung ba't tayo nandito

Puwede bang itigil muna

Ang pag-ikot ng mundo

Lumiwanag ang buwan

San juan

Di ko na nasasakyan

Ang lahat ng bagay ay

Gumuguhit na lang

Sa king lalamunan

Ewan mo at ewan natin

Sinong may pakana?

At bakit ba

Tumilapon ang

Gintong alak diyan sa paligid mo?

At ngayon

Di pa rin alam

Kung ba't tayo nandito

Puwede bang itigil muna

Ang pag-ikot ng mundo

Umiyak ang umaga

Anong sinulat ni enteng at joey diyan

Sa pintong salamin

Di ko na mabasa

Pagkat merong nagbura

Ewan ko at ewan natin

Sinong nagpakana?

At bakit ba tumilapon ang spoliarium

Diyan sa paligid mo?

At ngayon

Di pa rin alam

Kung ba't tayo nandito

Puwede bang itigil muna

Ang pag-ikot ng mundo

Despite the suspects' earlier apology, Tito Sotto has maintained his position against any involvement in the whitewashing of the rape case and alleges that the scandal was a gimmick by Paloma's party for publicity. Sotto said that he was not involved as a perpetrator in the rape of Paloma and he denied using his position in government to influence the court decision. Sotto became Vice Mayor in Quezon City in 1988 before being elected as a Senator in 1992. In 2018, the elder Sotto requested The Philippine Inquirer to remove published articles available online mentioning of the Pepsi Paloma Case claiming them to be "fake news" and damaging to his current reputation as a Senator.