Darryl Yap asks court to consolidate habeas data with cyber libel case

Director Darryl Yap has asked a Muntinlupa court to cancel a hearing on Vic Sotto's petition for a writ of habeas data and to consolidate it with the cyber libel case.

Sotto filed 19 counts of cyber libel against Yap on January 9, seeking P35 million in damages after his mention and accusation of rape in the film's teaser without prior consultation.

Sotto also filed a petition for a writ of habeas data on January 7, requesting the court to remove the teaser video and promotional materials that depict his personal information.

Yap's lawyer, Atty. Raymond Fortun, stated that Yap had sent a copy of the film's script to Vic Sotto before the teaser's release, allowing Sotto to provide comments.

Fortun also filed an urgent motion for a gag order, asking the court to prevent Sotto's camp from publicly disclosing information that could harm Yap's unreleased film.

The court had previously directed Yap to submit a verified return on the writ of habeas data within five days, denying claims of a stop order for the film.