The Unresolved Case of Pepsi Paloma - What Happened to this Popular 80's Celebrity?

Pepsi Paloma was a popular actress in the early 1980s and was allegedly raped by Vic Sotto, Joey De Leon, and Richie D'Horsie. 

Do you remember Pepsi Paloma? Every wondered what happened to her?

Pepsi Paloma was one of the most popular and most sought "starlets" of the early 1980s. In real life, she was Delia Smith, the eldest daughter of Lydia Duenas and Kenneth Smith. Lydia was a native of Borac, Northern Samar, while Kenneth was an American letter courier. At an early age, Delia, along with her other sibligngs, was abandoned by their father.

Having seen the potential of her then young daughter, Lydia introduced Delia to Rey dela Cruz, a talent manager known for discovering and managing the "soft drink beauties." Impressed with Delia's appearance and her potential as a media personality, dela Cruz did not hesitate to take Delia under his wing. From there, Delia's name was changed to "Pepsi Paloma" and she then became a part of the so-called "soft drink beauties" alongside Sarsi Emmanuel and Cola Nicolas.  

Pepsi was welcomed warmly by the viewing public when her debut "bold" film, "Brown Emmanuelle" was released in 1981. She was less than 18 years old, thus a minor, when this film was released. 

According to her own account, less than a year after the release of "Brown Emmanuelle, Pepsi met Vic Sotto, Joey de Leon, and Richie D'Horsey (Richie Reyes, in real life), the three (3) mainstay hosts of the popular noontime show, "Eat Bulaga." She was later taken by them out to a bar where, she claimed, she had been drugged and then dragged into a hotel room. From there, she was gang-raped by the three (3) comedians. 

Because of the incident, Pepsi filed a case against the three (3) comedians. She approached then Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile, who, in turn, referred her to Atty. Rene Cayetano, who was then a senior partner in the ACCRA Law Firm. (The late Atty. Rene Cayetano is a former Senator of the Philippines and the father of incumbent Senators Pia and Alan Peter Cayetano.) Atty. Rene Cayetano agreed to take Pepsi's case pro bono (or for free). 

Having raped a minor, the three (3) comedians were charged with statutory rape. If convicted, they were at risk of suffering the penalty of death pursuant to the Revised Penal Code. 

Since the memory of the execution of the convicted rapists of Maggie dela Riva was still fresh in the Filipino's consciousness and memories, this allegedly prompted [the now Senator] Tito Sotto to come to his younger brother's (Vic) aid and to approach Pepsi in order to convince the latter to drop the charges against the three (3). 

According to Pepsi's account of Tito's visit, Tito "coerced" her into signing a prepared "Affidavit of Desistance" so as to allow the dropping of the complaint against the three (3) comedians. This was done by Tito by allegedly placing a pistol on top of the table while he talked to Pepsi. (It should be noted that the legality of this affidavit is still questioned by legal luminaries and experts since at the time when Pepsi allegedly signed the said document, she was still a minor and that she signed it without the presence of her parents and/or lawyer. Regardless, because of their immense popularity, the Sottos were allegedly on the good side of then President Ferdinand Marcos.)

Owing to the Affidavit of Desistance allegedly signed by Pepsi, all criminal charges were dropped against the comedians. For their part, the three (3) comedians, Vic, Joey, and Richie, knelt on live television while on their show "Eat Bulaga!" and publicly apologized for the Pepsi incident. 

On May 31, 1985, three (3) years after the fateful incident, Pepsi was found lifeless in her apartment. According to witnesses, her neck was wrapped with a rope at the time she was found. This lead the police to conclude, along with other "witness" accounts, that she committed suicide allegedly owing to financial problems (or, at least, this was what was told in the newspapers). 

To this day, however, her manager Babette Corcuerra, disputes the truthfulness of the media accounts. According to Corcuerra, it was impossible that Pepsi had financial woes so as to compel her to take her own life considering that "she was earning well" and that she was "fully booked for dance performances." Aside from these gigs, Pepsi just concluded the "Pepsi Paloma Show" in a manifold of beerhouses in Metro Manila. She also had three lined up film offers from various producers. 

Corcuerra's claims put into new light the case of Pepsi Paloma. Speculations of murder began to surface. 

In an unaired interview on ABS-CBN, Kit Mateo, a self-confessed hitman, intimated that it was he who murdered Pepsi. Kit already passed away, thus bringing into obscurity any semblance of a chance of knowing the truth regarding the death of Pepsi Paloma.

Watch this video below!

Pepsi's case remains unsolved to this day. 

Tito Sotto is now a member of the Senate of the Philippines.

Vic and Joey are still on "Eat Bulaga!" and more popular than ever. 

Richie D'Horsie passed away earlier this year (2015). 

Sources:

Rodis, Rodel. "The Rape of Pepsi Paloma." The Philippine Daily Inquirer. Inquirer.net. Online. Internet. 2014. Available URL: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/99861/the-rape-of-pepsi-paloma

Video courtesy of youtube. Available URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGRXjkRfj38