Over the past two years of being a part of our weekday primetime viewing, “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” has truly delighted us with nail-biting action, heart-rending drama, seamless execution of scenes, impressive performances of actors, and a stellar lineup of cast.
However, what arguably pleased viewers the most—especially the elders—are the appearances of personalities who used to be well-known in the fields of showbiz. Apparently, this has been Coco Martin’s way of giving back to the industry that brought him to where he is at present.
And one of them is Roberto “Bantay” Antonino, a comedian in the 80s and 90s known for being one of the sidekicks of veteran comedians Dolphy and Vic Sotto, who currently appears in “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” as one of the workers in a shipyard, where the group of Tanggol have been seeking refuge.
His role may be relatively small, but not many of us know that Bantay is currently going through an immense tribulation in his life at present, which he imparted in this video recently uploaded by CCM Film Productions across its social platforms.
He began by imparting that he actually didn’t have plans anymore of going back to Manila upon arriving at his province (Nueva Vizcaya) because of how difficult it was for him to find a decent job here. Thus, he was totally surprised when someone from CCM Film Productions reached out to him, telling him that he was needed in the taping of “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo.”
Thrilled about the unexpected opportunity bestowed upon him, he returned to Manila and was fetched at a bus terminal in Cubao before being brought to the shoot location. He was introduced to Coco, who welcomed him with open arms, and was immediately given a scene.
“Iba ‘yong naramdaman ko eh, kasi isa siyang ‘in’ na artista ngayon, sikat, at direktor pa siya. Siya ‘yong nakaisip na bigyan ako ng tulong. Ako ‘yong tinulungan niya. Naiiba si Direk Coco,” he related with regard to how he feels about what Coco had done for him, which makes him cry out of sheer joy.
Aside from paving his return to acting, Bantay is also thankful for the actor-director for allowing him to work behind the camera as a utility man whenever he doesn’t have taping. Furthermore, he was filled with boundless happiness and gratitude when Coco told him that he would be part of the production for a long time. Thus, he expressed how joyful he is and vowed to do his best in his current job.
But how was Coco able to find him? He recounted that it all started when Coco saw him in one of the videos uploaded on the YouTube channel of Julius Babao, in which he was being interviewed by the veteran broadcaster. There, he shared his woeful story of having to live on the streets after choosing to leave their house due to his then irreconcilable misunderstanding with his wife and kids.
Since he had nowhere to go, there were instances when Bantay wasn’t able to take a bath and change his clothes, as well as only getting to eat and sleep at funerals. But things suddenly looked up for him when a stuntman named Alex Sabrano recognized him and offered to help him. It was also Alex who relayed his story to the anchorman, and the rest, as they say, is history.
“Naantig din po siguro [si Coco] sa aking kasaysayan dahil biruin mo ang mga anak ko hindi ako pinapansin; [ang] asawa ko, bukambibig ‘lumayas ka na rito’. Kaya ‘yong sa akin, para mawala na ‘yong sakit, lumayas na ako,” he related. “Para wala na akong marinig pa, na hindi na rin ako nasasaktan, kahit anong gawin ko, paikot-ikot ako doon sa lansangan, ‘yon ang ginawa ko hanggang sa napanood ako ni Direk Coco.”
When asked about what he had realized from his experience, Bantay told Team CCM that it was actually his family who had learned from what he did. He tearfully recalled how his family confronted him for ‘maligning’ them in the said interview, which hurt them so much. But he told them that he only disclosed the truth about how he was feeling and what was happening to him at the time.
In the continuation of his interview with Team CCM, the former comedian happily imparted that he and his family were already able to make amends with the help of Julius again, who got him reunited with his wife. His family was also happy that he found his footing again via his inclusion in “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo.”
The video concluded with Bantay’s heartfelt message to the Kapamilya Primetime King. He expressed, “Masasabi ko lang po sa inyo, Direk Coco, maraming-maraming salamat sa ibinigay n’yo sa aking trabaho at pagbubutihin ko po, Sir, na hindi ko po babalewalain ang mga sinasabi n’yo po sa akin. Gagawin ko po ang lahat—na maging mabait na tao, mapagmahal sa kapwa, [at] masunurin sa kapwa. Saludo ako sa’yo, Direk Coco! ‘Di kita makakalimutan. Mabuhay ka, Direk!”
Watch out for Bantay in the next episodes of “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo,” weeknights at 8 PM, on Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, TV5, iWant, and Kapamilya Online Live (KOL). Viewers outside of the Philippines can watch on The Filipino Channel (TFC) on cable and IPTV.