Viewers are noticing Ronwaldo Martin's acting skills as he plays the role of Santino, the not-so-loved good son in "FPJ's Batang Quiapo." Spectators say he has this amazing ability to connect with the audience on a deeper level, especially when he cries in his scenes. Whether he's going through moments of pain or frustration, you can't help but feel for him, making his talent truly undeniable and compelling. Check out his best moments in the series via this Kapamilya Toplist.
You know his acting as Santino is super effective when you find yourself cheering for him every time he stands up to his arrogant brother, David (McCoy de Leon). There was this one scene where Santino confronted David after he stole the money that Tanggol (Coco Martin) had been saving, and then the verbal war turned into a physical fight.
Like his big brother, the Primetime King Coco Martin, Ronwaldo also has what it takes to shine as an action star, thus his role as a budding boxer suits him perfectly. He even showed off his skills in a scene where he single-handedly fought against Tisoy’s (Zeus Collins) gang, despite being outnumbered. Santino’s true action prowess came through again in a scene where, with just one punch, he knocked Edwin (Ping Medina) down, as the latter confronted him for allegedly hiding Tanggol's whereabouts.
Then, there were those heartbreaking moments that crushed our hearts and sparked our anger. One of the most intense was when his police officer father, Rigor (John Estrada), had him imprisoned for the murder of his boxing mentor, Coach Gary (Levi Ignacio). Santino begged his dad to hear his side first because he knew he was innocent, but instead of listening, Rigor was quick to judge him. At that point, you could really feel the pain Santino was going through as a son.
Ronwaldo’s performance truly deserved a standing ovation when he was temporarily freed and let out all his pent-up emotions of bitterness and hurt to his friend Annika (Dexie Diaz) because of what his father did. He then got home that night and was greeted by Rigor, who was drinking alone outside their house. But no matter what Rigor said, all Santino could feel was that his father never listened to him because he doesn’t love him. And the anger only grew as he thought about how Rigor judged him, even though, he said, it's Rigor who should be punished for bringing a mistress into their home and ruining their family.
Ronwaldo truly captured the pain and devastation a child would feel when they’re almost begging for love from their father, especially in that scene where he cried next to his mom, Marites (Cherry Pie Picache). He told her that he couldn’t live without her, so he promised to stay with her no matter what.
The inner demons in his head were so palpable in that scene where Lucio (Ronnie Lazaro) and Edwin were teaching him how to shoot with a gun. You could feel the struggle as if there were devils cheering him on while his morals were in a fight. Ronwaldo played that moment so perfectly. The scene ended with Santino dropping the gun and walking away from the bad guys, telling them that he doesn't have the guts to play their evil games.
However, as he joined their group, his hands inevitably became stained with blood when he shot Bullet (Renz Fernandez) to death while saving Lucio during an encounter.
Ronwaldo's acting really shone through in that intense three-way verbal sparring between him, Coco, and John during the wake scene of Noy (Lou Veloso), where the siblings brought up their father’s wrongdoings. And then, the scene culminated in Rigor’s physical violence.
The pain really hit home when Ronwaldo delivered his lines naturally in another emotionally charged moment with his real-life brother, Coco. Here, Santino admitted that he felt abandoned by his brother Tanggol, especially when Tanggol had the means to get them away from their father’s abusive grip but didn't do anything to save him and their mom. Santino also wished that Tanggol had helped Tindeng (Charo Santos) and Noy when he had the chance. Their real-life sibling bond definitely helped Santino express the raw pain of a younger brother who, despite having so much love for his older sibling, felt deeply hurt because the person he trusted seemed to forget about him.
Show your support for Ronwaldo by watching "FPJ's Batang Quiapo," airing weeknights, on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, TV5, and A2Z.