“Magkanya-kanya na tayo, Tanggol! At huwag na tayong magkita ulit dahil hinding-hindi namin kakalimutan ang nangyari kay Supremo!”
These were the powerful final words of Ben (Mark Lapid) to Tanggol (Coco Martin) before he and Berting (Joey Marquez) decided to part ways with Tanggol and his group, whom they used to regard as their allies, following the death of their friend Primo (Lito Lapid), which they blamed on Tanggol.
And almost a year after that happened, Ben resurfaced just as Tanggol and his gang sought his help following their intense showdown with the Quiapo police, led by Hector (Aljur Abrenica). At first, Ben was furious to see them, still unable to move on from what he deemed was Tanggol’s treachery, which resulted in the fall out between their groups and the death of Primo. Enteng (Joji Lorenzo) explained that they didn’t betray them, as it was PMGen Augustus Pacheco (Julio Diaz) who orchestrated everything that transpired at the time, so that they would fight against each other.
As Ben asked them why they had come and why Ramon (Christopher de Leon) was with them, Tanggol disclosed to him that Ramon is actually his father, leaving Ben completely stunned. Bulldog (Mammoth Estroso) then chimed in to ask Ben if he could let them take refuge in his home while the authorities were still searching for them. Since he was still consumed by his anger against them, Ben initially refused to take them in and drove them away.
But after being warned by his neighbors that offering help to the group of Tanggol might put his life in danger, this sparked an idea in Ben on how to take revenge on Tanggol. He suddenly changed his mind and finally allowed Tanggol and his gang to stay with him and his wife for the meantime. Little did they know that Ben was secretly plotting to turn them in to the Guerreros, as his way of exacting vengeance against Tanggol.
When quizzed by Ramon about why he had suddenly changed his mind, Ben merely implied that he was just concerned about what might happen to them. Tanggol’s friends then recounted the events that led them into their current predicament, while Ramon and Tanggol laid out their plans against the Guerreros.
Fully aware of how powerful and dangerous the Guerrero family could be, Ben offered his unsolicited advice, warning them that they were just risking their lives if they would insist on pushing through with their plan. But being tenacious that they’ve always been, Tanggol and Ramon seemed to be unstoppable from pushing through with their revenge plot against the Guerreros.
As we look forward to confirming whether Ben is going to be a friend or a foe to Tanggol and his group, Mark was interviewed by CCM Film Productions through his co-star Ryan Martin, who welcomed him and asked him about his unexpected and delightful comeback to “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo.”
Mark conveyed how happy he is about the return of his character and how much he missed working with everyone in the show—whom he considers family and friends—especially with Direk Coco. He enthused, “Masayang-masaya at very excited ako sa pagbabalik ni Ben!”
He then went on to mention some of the things that he had missed on the show, such as their fun conversations on the set while the reels are not rolling or while they are waiting for their scenes to be shot.
Lastly, with regard to what the viewers should watch out for about his character’s reappearance, Mark teased that his comeback is indeed going to be exciting, as they’re yet to find out if Ben is going to be still a friend or another foe to Tanggol and his group.
The interview concluded with Mark thanking the fans of the primetime series for their unwavering support, “Maraming salamat po sa patuloy at mainit na pagsuporta ng ating mga followers sa ‘Batang Quiapo’ at sana patuloy n’yong panoorin. Lalong paganda nang paganda ang aming mga eksena. So, huwag kayong bibitaw.”
Although a year has passed, Mark seems to have quickly adjusted to the set and have already bonded well with his castmates, as seen in the behind-the-scenes footage taken from the January 21 episode included in the video.
Is Ben going to be an ally or an enemy to Tanggol and his group this time? Let's find out by not missing an episode of “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo,” weeknights on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Channel sa ALLTV2, A2Z, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL) and iWant.