Filmmaker Darryl Yap. Facebook: Darryl Yap
MANILA — Filmmaker Darryl Yap, best known for the box-office hit "Jowable," said Monday he plans to sue those accusing him of being a pedophile, branding the allegations on social media as a "demolition job" and an "elaborate cybercrime" meant to smear his reputation.
Yap said he had largely been ignoring the accusations, but can no longer afford to do so, after his name was mentioned in relation to Sen. Risa Hontiveros' high-profile campaign against child pornography in the Philippines.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Yap shared a screenshot of one such post linking him to practices involving pedophilia and child molestation.
He wrote: "Ngayon po ay umabot na sa puntong inilalagay nila ang aking kaligtasan, trabaho at pangalan sa alanganin."
"Mula sa pag-screenshot ng mga tweets ko mula sa iba't-ibang thread at dates, na binigyan nila ng malalaswang pakahulugan hanggang sa pag-e-edit na mismo ng mga tweets na hindi naman galing sa akin hanggang sa pagsasabi na ako raw ay umamin na isa akong pedophile at proud pa ako rito — ngayon, ikinokonekta na sa mga article na wala akong kinalaman," Yap said.
Yap was referring to viral tweets showing his supposed past admissions of a years-long relationship starting when his partner was underage, among others.
He asked followers on Facebook to help him gather screenshots of posts and online profiles accusing him of being a pedophile, which he intends to use in filing a formal complaint.
"This is an elaborate cybercrime, a personal attack," he said. "Ang pagtawag o pagbansag po sa akin na isang pedophile ay isang iresponsableng gawain na nakakapinsala hindi lamang sa akin kung 'di maging sa totoong laban upang mapuksa ang ganitong pang-aabuso."
"Matagal ko nang dinepensahan ang aking sarili; ngunit bumubuo sila ng bagong issue upang magmukhang totoo. I am not a pedophile, I never abused children, I never admitted such and being tagged as one is very harmful not only to me but to the concerned society," Yap wrote.
The filmmaker noted that the supposed "demolition job" comes amid the nearing release of his latest project, saying many of his accusers are motivated to negatively impact his career.
"Hindi kayo magtatagumpay," he said.