Director Darryl Yap announced that his controversial film, The Rapists of Pepsi Paloma, will not premiere in Philippine cinemas this February due to incomplete documentation required by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).
In a Facebook post on Monday, Yap explained that his team failed to meet the necessary submission requirements. “Ipinaaabot ko po sa lahat ng nakasubaybay na bigo po ang panig ng inyong lingkod na agarang makumpleto ang mga dokumentong hinihingi ng pamunuan ng MTRCB. Kaya’t imposible pong mapilabas sa mga sinehan ang ating pelikula sa February 5,” Yap wrote.
Yap shared that they are considering screening the film abroad or shifting its release to streaming platforms instead of local theaters. “Kung anu’t anuman ay agad itong malalaman ng publiko,” he added.
In the comments section, Yap mentioned that February and March are already fully booked for theater schedules, but they will seek available screening dates once the required documents are submitted.
Last week, the MTRCB clarified that Yap’s film is not under review due to incomplete submissions. The board specified that the film’s distributor, PinoyFlix Films and Entertainment Production, must provide three critical documents:
- Certificate or Clearance of No Pending Criminal, Civil, or Administrative Case from the Regional Trial Court
- Clearance from the Department of Justice
- Clearance from the Office of the City Prosecutor
Additionally, on January 24, the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 205 ordered Yap to remove a teaser for the film that mentioned actor Vic Sotto by name. Despite this, Yap is still permitted to continue the film’s production and eventual release.