Ever since “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” started, we’ve witnessed how the life of Tanggol has always been miserable, action-packed, and chaotic, not just because he grew up in poverty, but also because of some people who became part of it and turned it upside down—a.k.a. the kontrabidas or villains.
As the top-rating Kapamilya primetime series comes to an end soon, let us look back on Tanggol’s bouts against the 10 most-hated villains in this Kapamilya Update feature.
JP (Dino Imperial)
First on this list is JP, a charming campus heartthrob and an arrogant bully who used his charm to get everything he wanted and to harass his schoolmates, including Mokang (Lovi Poe). Unfortunately for him, he crossed the wrong girl, for she had a mighty back-up—Tanggol, who’s a notorious troublemaker in Quiapo along with his friends.
As Mokang’s most ardent admirer ever since they were kids, Tanggol didn’t just prevent JP from taking on his role as the last dance of Mokang during her 18th birthday party but also beat him up upon learning and even catching him in the act of violating Mokang.
Greg Montenegro (RK Bagatsing)
Prior to finding out his true connection to the affluent Montenegro clan, Tanggol had no idea that the man whom he mercilessly gunned down during their groups’ bloody clash in Quiapo because of a briefcase full of illegal drugs was his cousin, Greg.
As Tanggol and his friends refused to simply return the highly important briefcase to the Montenegros, a scorching gunfight ensued in which their neighbors in San Dimas backed them up. In the end, Tanggol successfully cornered Greg and ultimately murdered him despite his pleas.
Olga Montenegro (Irma Adlawan)
After failing to get rid of Tanggol right after Marites (Miles Ocampo/Cherry Pie Picache) gave birth to him, Olga had made it her personal mission to kill him in order to fulfill her wicked plan against Ramon (Christopher de Leon) and Don Julio (Tommy Abuel): to finish them off so she could take the entire Montenegro wealth.
In her desperation to carry out her sinister plans, she put on a friendly act and successfully befriended Marites. However, just when she thought that she would succeed in avenging the deaths of her two children, Greg and Samantha (Ivana Alawi)—which she both blamed on Tanggol—Olga died during her confrontation with Marites and Tanggol. Marites once again saved Tanggol from her by fatally shooting her as she uttered her famous words, “Anak ko ‘yan!”—just like what she did in their first-ever encounter in the pilot week.
Bong (Vandolph Quizon)
During their time in the correctional facility, Tanggol and his friends not only found new beginnings and new acquaintances and allies but also new enemies. Despite their efforts to stay out of trouble or not to cause any, it seemed that their presence was already enough to draw chaos, especially to the group of their fellow inmate, Bong.
Consumed by his intense vexation and jealousy toward Tanggol, especially after learning that he was getting close to Bubbles (Ivana Alawi)—their fellow prisoner and his ex-partner in taking on missions from facility admins—the group of Bong tormented Tanggol and his friends several times. Of course, Tanggol and his friends never backed down until they got to ultimately finish them off, with Tanggol shooting Bong at point-blank range in the head during their brutal fisticuff.
Pablo Caballero (Elijah Canlas)
What started out as a casual bet over a game of billiards at the bar where Tanggol and Bubbles worked together eventually resulted in a fierce rivalry between him and one of their customers, Pablo. Although he had long been irritated with Pablo due to his arrogance and harbored resentment toward him, it grew even worse when he learned that Pablo had taken advantage of Bubbles.
Thus, in order to avenge his close friend, Tanggol took matters into his own hands and single-handedly launched a surprise attack on Pablo and his men. Pablo nearly escaped, but Tanggol caught up with him and struck him hard on the head with a hammer, which caused his instant death.
David Dimaguiba (McCoy de Leon)
Influenced by their father’s hostility against Tanggol caused by the grim event that brought him into being, David also grew up abhorring his brother. For this reason, alongside his intense penchant for fortune and power, David agreed to conspire with Olga by assuming the identity of Tanggol as “Hesus Nazareno” for them to be able to embezzle the wealth of the Montenegros.
Their long-hidden secret was finally discovered by both Ramon and Tanggol on separate occasions, yet David managed to escape from their wrath. David met his end when Tanggol’s political rival, Miguelito (Jake Cuenca), with whom he once worked as a hired killer, brutally tortured and murdered him upon discovering his betrayal.
Rockyboy Mondragon (Baron Geisler)
Apparently, Tanggol was the karma of Rockyboy for all the abuses that he had inflicted on the innocent women who fell victim to his sexual exploitations. While it was really his mom, Divina (Rosanna Roces), who was really the target of Tanggol on that fateful day of their first-ever encounter, Tanggol ended up attacking Rockyboy viciously after he caught him in the act of assaulting Ponggay (Maris Racal).
As he got defeated by him, Rockyboy vowed since then to exact vengeance on him once their paths crossed again—which subsequently happened in a totally unexpected way. Unaware of Rockyboy’s identity, especially when he introduced himself with a different name, Tanggol and his friends even helped him recuperate, allowed him to join in their missions, and even accepted his offer to seek refuge at one of their family’s rest houses.
That's when Rockyboy found a way to execute his evil plan against Tanggol, which he did by torturing him while he was still recovering from the gunshot wounds that he had sustained from their previous mission against the Guerreros. Besides, he also abducted Ponggay when he chanced upon her and almost subjected her to torture if only Tanggol and his friends had not arrived on time to save her. A vicious skirmish erupted between them, in which Tanggol was able to slash Rockyboy to death.
Miguelito Guerrero (Jake Cuenca)
They may have seemed to be friends back then since their grandpas knew each other since they were young and even became business partners and solid allies, but that instantly changed when the Montenegros pushed for Tanggol’s candidacy in the last elections—initially as vice mayor, then as mayor of the City of Manila—which totally didn't sit well with them.
Thus, a series of relentless clashes, confrontations, and retaliations transpired between two of the most affluent clans in Manila, both striving to stop one another in their tracks and to exact vengeance against each other. Even though he repeatedly messes up his plans and gets defeated by Tanggol in their altercation, his half-brother, Roberto (Albert Martinez), and mother, Jackie (Angel Aquino), have always been there to back him up and bail him out.
Now, we’re just counting the days and waiting on what’s going to happen next, especially that the corruption and election fraud of the Guerreros have finally been exposed and that they are being overthrown from their respective seats that they have held on to so tightly.
Rigor Dimaguiba (John Estrada)
Last, but definitely not least, on this list is Rigor, who has an enduring hatred against Tanggol even before he was born since he was conceived after Ramon took advantage of Marites. He harshly and heartlessly maltreated Tanggol during his younger years, blaming him for all the misfortunes that had happened to their family through the years.
But being the respectful and loving son that he has always been, Tanggol never fought back at him until their intense altercation that was witnessed by their neighbors in San Dimas, in which he learned straight from Rigor himself that they aren’t related by blood.
Since then, the feud between them burned even fiercer, especially after the deaths of Tanggol’s maternal brothers, David and Santino. The loss of his sons consumed Rigor, fueling an even deeper thirst for vengeance. His resolve to exact revenge grew darker and more relentless when he was promoted to chief of the Quiapo Police, giving him greater power than ever before.
Will Tanggol be able to defeat the remaining kontrabidas in his life? Let's find out by watching the last few episodes of “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” leading to its highly anticipated “Ang Huling Laban ni Tanggol” finale, airing weeknights on Kapamilya Channel sa ALLTV2, A2Z, iWant, and Kapamilya Online Live (KOL).