Viral Portal News: Pepsi

After 34 years: Tito Sotto denies involvement in Pepsi Paloma case, says she died due to drugs

Unknown 6:32 AM after , Case , Denies , Died , drugs , Involvement , Paloma , Pepsi , says , Sotto , Tito , Years

<ul><li style="text-align: justify;">Reelectionist senator finally speaks up on the alleged rape and death of sexy starlet</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">He denies forcing Paloma to drop her case, says her manager just made up the story of his role</li> <li style="text-align: justify;">He also denies any involvement with Paloma’s death, says she killed herself due to drug problems</li> </ul>MANILA, Philippines – With Pepsi Paloma’s rape allegedly at the hands of comedians Joey de Leon, Vic Sotto, and Ritchie D’Horsie and her suspicious death still lingering on in the public consciousness even after 34 years, reelectionist Sen. Tito Sotto III denied having strong-armed her into dropping the case as is popularly believed. “Una, 1988 po ako naging vice mayor ng Quezon City. Matagal na hong wala ‘yung kwentong ‘yun,” he told <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/03/03/16/tito-sotto-pepsi-paloma-scandal-was-a-gimmick">DZMM</a>. “1982 ho yung kwentong iyun eh. So, wala ho akong pakialam sa isyung iyan nung araw.” [First, I became vice mayor of Quezon City in 1988. That story’s been told since 1982. So, I did not have any role in that issue back then.] Instead, he blamed Paloma’s talent manager, Rey dela Cruz, as the one who spread stories about his alleged involvement in retaliation over the libel cases his brother and De Leon filed against him. “Para ho sa kaalaman ng lahat, gimik ho ni Rey dela Cruz ‘yun. Hindi ho totoo ‘yun. Pinagtangkaan nilang magkaso kasi tinira sila ng libel nina Vic at Joey. Idinemanda sila ng libel kaya pinagtangkaan nilang balikan ng kaso,” Sotto said. [For everyone’s information, that was Rey dela Cruz’s gimmick. That’s not true. They were just looking to file a case because they were charged with libel by Vic and Joey They were charged with libel so they wanted to retaliate with a case. ] Sotto also denied any role in Paloma’s death in 1985; saying the actress hanged herself inside her apartment due to drug problems and not because he sent any assassin to kill her. “Wala ho, droga ho yun!” he said. According to Rodel Rodis’ column in the <a href="http://globalnation.inquirer.net/100369/was-pepsi-paloma-murdered">Philippine Daily Inquirer</a>, the younger Sotto, De Leon and D’Horsie gang-raped Paloma inside a hotel room in 1982 when she was just 14 years old. When she tried to file a case, she was abducted by Bienvenido “Ben” Ulo, who was known to be an enforcer of the Castelo-Sottos, but was rescued. In the end, she was made to drop the case by Tito Sotto who reportedly threatened her with a gun. In exchange, the trio were said to have apologized publicly to Paloma — the statement of which was published in the October 13, 1982 edition of the People’s Journal. <a href="http://kickerdaily.com/tito-sotto-denies-involvement-pepsi-paloma-case/" rel="nofollow">Kicker Daily News</a>

Reelectionist senator finally speaks up on the alleged rape and death of sexy starlet He denies forcing Paloma to drop her case, says her ma...