From gritty street brawls that showcase raw power to intense gun battles and screeching, adrenaline-pumping car chases, "FPJ's Batang Quiapo" has mastered the art of keeping us at the edge of our seats with 'astig' and jawdropping action scenes since its premiere.
As the new year kicks off, Kapamilya Toplist believes it's the perfect time to relive the epic sequences in the series that had us gasping, cheering, and feeling like we were right in the middle of the action, dodging punches and bullets ourselves.
In the first chapters of the narrative, Coco Martin’s new persona as Tanggol Dimaguiba is in his element when using speed rather than guns to escape trouble, as shown in the first scene in this video montage where we watched him run away after snatching the necklace of a female churchgoer. However, he encountered a group of goons en route to his hiding place. In the streets of Manila, one couldn’t trespass over another gang’s territory. Not wanting to just give away the necklace he 'worked hard' to stole, Tanggol faced the goons, who challenged him to a duel. He fought the men all by himself, leading to an epic riot that looked so raw from all angles.
As the teleserye’s second chapter progressed, Tanggol and his brawny friends was imprisoned and earned the trust of the correctional facility’s chief officer, Dolores (Jacklyn Jose), who had been entrusting kill orders to her best inmates, including the feisty Bubbles (Ivana Alawi), who had become Tanggol's good friend. Bubbles was formerly accompanied by Bong (Vandolph Quizon) in her missions. However, Dolores saw that the ‘batang Quiapo’, Tanggol, could be a better trustee.
Tanggol’s first assignment with Bubbles was to assassinate Congressman Sevilla (Jong Cuenco), which they successfully did despite a few misunderstanding. Amidst the gun battle against Congressman Sevilla’s security team, Bubbles thought that her new partner had chickened out and decided to escape. However, Tanggol proved himself to be a dependable friend and an incredible fighter. Here, Coco showcased his signature highly-choreographed leaping stunts; even the impact of bullets felt like art in motion that left us, viewers, breathless.
The partners-in-crime were able to flee by riding on a motorcycle. Adding a little more spice to this scene, Bubbles sat on Tanggol’s lap as she darted bullets at the authorities chasing them, then, Tanggol operated the motorcycle as fast and smart as he could. A motorcycle chase scene has never been this ‘maangas’ and overflowing with chemistry!
In one gripping episode, he and Bubbles found themselves facing off against the cops after carrying out Chief Dolores' mission to take down Red Phoenix. While Bubbles fired at their pursuers with unflinching precision, Tanggol masterfully steered the motorcycle through a heart-pounding chase. He weaved through chaotic traffic and expertly decelerated down a flight of stairs until the pursuit led them into the tight, bustling aisles of a public market. The goods scattered as bullets flew. Epic is an understatement for this chase scene with handsome and gripping choreography.
There was also a gun fight enveloped with a distinct urban grit with the trains of Manila as the centerpiece of chaos. Here, Ramon (Christopher de Leon) and his henchmen tracked Tanggol, Mokang (Lovi Poe), and Bubbles to the motel they stayed in, forcing them to flee and board a train bound for Blumentritt.
Also making it to the list is the unforgettable car chase between Tanggol's group and Tisay (Barbie Imperial)'s crew of cunning carnappers in the iconic Binondo-Intramuros Bridge. One element we loved about this scene was the chaos of screeching tires and roaring engines contrasting the silence of the night. The sequence also featured jaw-dropping stunts, including Coco fearlessly leaping across moving vehicles.
The battle led to Tisay's auto shop, where Tanggol's squad recovered their stolen cars. The team delivered a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat sequence that was as emotional as it was explosive, as the gun battle claimed the lives of Tisay, her father Regie (William Martinez), and their trusted allies Michael (AnjoYllana) and Derek (Maverick Relova).
The sound of screeching tires echoed again as Tanggol raced back to save his friends, who had been caught at a police checkpoint in another episode. What happened was his fugitive friends failed to escape the cops and were cornered and dragged out of their vehicle. Just when they thought Tanggol had abandoned them, he made a stunning comeback, with his car roaring onto the scene with Madonna (Kim Domingo) on the passenger's seat. Tanggol and Madonna exchanged gunfire with the police as they barreled toward the checkpoint.
Watch out for more cinematic action-packed sequences in "FPJ's Batang Quiapo," airing weeknights, on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, TV5, and A2Z.