Tanggol (Coco Martin) eliminated another villain in his world, as the corrupt and power-hungry Col. Salvador Romero (Efren Reyes Jr.) finally met his end in “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo.”
Following Fatima’s (Andrea Brillantes) exposé of the Guerrero family’s crimes, Mayor Roberto Guerrero (Albert Martinez) ordered Salvador to eliminate her and her entire Benito family. Upon learning about this, Tanggol and his team rushed to the cemetery, where the ambush was unfolding, in an attempt to rescue the Benitos. Despite the difficult terrain, they managed to bring down several of Salvador’s men and shield Fatima’s family from the ongoing attack.
Just as Fatima was about to be taken down, Tanggol and his team covered her, allowing her to escape, until Col. Romero caught up and took her hostage.
Tanggol tried to end things peacefully, urging Col. Romero to let Fatima go since she had nothing to do with the ongoing war between the Montenegros and the Guerreros. But Romero wouldn’t budge, determined to follow orders.
In a final move that turned the tables, Tanggol pretended to surrender. Col. Romero lowered his guard, giving Tanggol the opening he needed to grab his gun and fire the fatal shots that would end colonel’s reign of terror once and for all.
The sequences may have been nail-biting, but the mood behind the scenes was light, with smiles and casual banter offering a rare glimpse into the real Efren Reyes Jr., as seen in these photos shared by CCM Film Production.
Because while Col. Romero brought nothing but fear and chaos to Tanggol’s world, the actor behind the corrupt character is the total opposite. Off-cam, Efren is easygoing and always game for a quick photo in between takes.
When he first joined the series, expectations were high among viewers and netizens who pointed out his legacy as a kontrabida. And through his "FPJ's Batang Quiapo" stint, Efren reminded Pinoy audiences exactly why he earned the title of one of the most feared action-drama villains of the ’90s and proved that he’s still got that lethal on-screen presence.
Watching him alongside Coco felt like a clash between generations of action stars, with twice the grit.
Efren is among the veteran actors Coco gave the opportunity to return to acting, and through their behind-the-scenes photos, one could sense the mutual respect and shared passion they brought to the set.
With one of the Guerrero family's deadly allies now out of the picture, could this finally mark the beginning of their downfall? Will the Montenegros be able to take advantage of the shift in power and bring them down for good?
Don’t miss an episode of “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo,” weeknights at 8 PM on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), A2Z, TV5 and iWant.