Three weeks before the highly anticipated “Ang Huling Laban ni Tanggol” finale of the undisputed primetime series “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo,” viewers had witnessed what could be one of the most depressing, most painful, and most haunting events in the life of the nation’s beloved primetime hero at present, Tanggol Montenegro (Coco Martin).
It happened after Enteng (Jojit Lorenzo) was compelled to sell out his friends to Rigor (John Estrada) for him to be able to save his beloved mother, Aling Myrna (Myrna Castillo), whom the immoral police ruthlessly held as hostage. Although he could have shared it with them, Enteng chose to keep it to himself due to the overwhelming fear that he felt for his mother.
Unbeknownst to him, Ramon (Christopher de Leon) had already noticed his suspicious behavior over the previous days, which further amplified when he insisted that Tanggol must come with them as they fenced the jewelry they had heisted to Enteng’s acquaintance, Aling Nena. Unfortunately, it was already too late for his friends to figure out that Enteng had betrayed them to Rigor because they were at the enemy’s lair by the time they realized that they were set up by him.
As if double-crossing them wasn’t excruciating enough, Enteng was utterly shocked when Rigor commanded him to torment and murder his friends, with the latter threatening to have his mother killed if he refused to do what he was told. Enteng helplessly heeded Rigor’s order, starting with drilling their knees one by one, as the latter watched them with pleasure.
Still apparently not satisfied with what Enteng just did, Rigor then went on to instruct him to kill them one at a time through different ways and weapons—according to how he liked each murder to be done. Enteng begged Rigor to just murder him instead because he couldn’t bring himself to end the life of his friends. But his plea fell on deaf ears as Rigor threatened to kill his mother, so Enteng once again had no other option but to blindly and helplessly follow.
Enteng began with Dolfo (Ryan Martin), whom he stabbed on the left side of his abdomen, which instantly led to his death. Next in line was Tanos (Mark Anthony “Big Mak” Andaya), whom he murdered by whacking him with a chainsaw. Last was Bulldog (Mammoth Estroso), whom he shot at a point-blank range using the gun that Rigor had handed to him.
With blood on his hands, Enteng touched his friends’ lifeless bodies in silent apology before collapsing in shock and despair over what he had just done. Rigor, on the other hand, watched his grief with sheer satisfaction.
Sensing that something bad had already happened to his friends since it had already taken them quite a long time to return to their supposed meeting place, Tanggol finally decided to go after them, with Ramon coming in tow. As soon as they arrived at their destination, the father-and-son duo were immediately forced into combat against the armed men guarding the property, including Aling Nena. Tanggol then tried to go after Rigor as he spotted him from afar, but the latter was quick enough to escape through the fire exit.
Tanggol then saw Enteng sitting helplessly on the floor, telling him and Ramon that they were set up. But what got Tanggol further horrified was discovering the bloodied bodies of Dolfo, Bulldog, and Tanos wrapped in cloth and laid out behind Enteng. Devastated, Tanggol broke down as he cradled his fallen friends one by one, then confronted Enteng as he demanded an explanation from him.
Still reeling from the painful, unforeseen deaths of their three beloved friends, Tanggol continued to interrogate Enteng about what had happened as soon as they returned to their group's hideout. Tanggol also went on to blame himself for not accompanying them, as well as Rigor, who was really the one behind it.
A phone call coming from Rigor through Aling Myrna’s mobile number interrupted them, as his spine-chilling threat prompted Enteng to quickly go home to supposedly check on his mother. Little did he know that Tanggol followed him and discovered his rendezvous with Rigor. Enteng attempted to make another excuse or put on an act once he got back at their hideout, yet Ramon had already seen him through his lies, which was further attested by Tanggol.
This had forced Enteng to finally tell the truth, prompting Tanggol to urge his best friend to kill him if that would be the only way for him to save his mother. Enteng indeed appallingly shot Tanggol and struck him on his left shoulder, causing Ramon to instinctively pull the trigger on Enteng as well, who was fatally hit on his chest. Enteng managed to retaliate at Ramon and then attempted to shoot Tanggol again, but the latter managed to open fire at him first.
While all of these were unfolding, the loved ones and fervent supporters of Tanggol were also facing a fierce battle after some of them were harassed and arrested by the authorities, following the Guerreros’ orders. But even though the safety of themselves and of their families was at stake, they still chose to stand on their ground and continue the fight against the Guerreros.
The Guerrero family, meanwhile, were plotting new strategies on how they could retain their control of the city hall, as well as making Tanggol come out of hiding so that they can finally fulfill their longtime plan of finishing him off. As Roberto (Albert Martinez) warned them about making any action without his knowledge, Jackie (Angel Aquino) begged him to trust her and Miguelito’s (Jake Cuenca) plan—at least for this time—of using Ponggay (Maris Racal) against Tanggol.
Netizens’ reactions
As avid viewers of “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” had witnessed how Tanggol’s (Coco Martin) friends had remained loyal to him regardless of how tough and dangerous their journey could be, it’s arguably inevitable for many of us to get heartbroken, shocked, and outraged to see them die—never getting the chance to reap the rewards of everything they fought and risked their lives for.
Viewers understandably felt frustrated with Enteng (Jojit Lorenzo) for doubting his friends and underestimating their ability to rescue his mother and defeat Rigor (John Estrada), which ultimately led to betrayal and the devastating moment when he and Tanggol turned their guns on each other. Meanwhile, Rigor further intensified the audience’s outrage as he grew more brutal and merciless in his actions against Tropang Tanggol and Aling Myrna.
But beyond the previous week’s harrowing and emotionally charged twists, what truly elevated the past five episodes was the cast’s impressive and topnotch acting performances, as they delivered gripping portrayals that left lasting impact on viewers.
Mark “Big Mak” Andaya, Ryan Martin, and Mammoth Estroso all did great jobs in compelling us with their promising dramatic chops, making us feel the pain, fear, and helplessness of their characters while being tortured by Rigor through Enteng. Their remarkable portrayals added emotional weight to the harrowing scenes, making the ordeal even more difficult to watch.
John Estrada, on the other hand, further deepened the audience’s hatred for Rigor with his riveting and chilling performance, particularly in the intense sequence he shared with Tropang Tanggol. His commanding screen presence and calculated cruelty amplified the tension, solidifying Rigor as one of the story’s most detestable antagonists.
Tagged by CCM Film Productions as the “best actors ng “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo,” Coco, Christopher de Leon, and Jojit likewise earned praise for their exceptional performances. The riveting dramatic confrontation of their characters as Tanggol, Ramon, and Enteng—which ended in Enteng’s shocking and tragic death—was executed with notable depth and emotional intensity, leaving viewers astounded and deeply moved.
Here are some of the vehement feedback posted by Kapamilya netizens on X (formerly Twitter) regarding last week’s completely unforgettable episodes, which had kept thousands of online viewers glued to the screens while simultaneously drawing the ire of eveyone:
Now that his friends are no longer with him to join him in his forthcoming battles against the Guerreros, is Tanggol going to still succeed? Or will “Ang Huling Laban ni Tanggol” become tougher? Let’s find out by not missing the last episodes of “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo,” airing weeknights on Kapamilya Channel sa ALLTV2, A2Z, iWant, and Kapamilya Online Live (KOL).