Even before the official premiere of “Blood vs Duty,” its impressive ensemble has always been genuinely expressive about their appreciation for their fellow cast members, especially Barbie Imperial.
Barbie brilliantly embodies the kind-hearted yet courageous Jamilah Abubakar, the younger sister of Jalil Abubakar (played by Gerald Anderson). Back at Isla Damai in Zamboanga City, the Abubakar siblings each fulfill crucial responsibilities in their cherished Muslim community, with Jamilah particularly in charge of educating the youth, primarily in health-related matters.
Among the children close to Jamilah is Sitti (Zia Grace), who was briefly but sweetly introduced in the pilot episode. Jamilah was seen gently treating Sitti’s small wound while reminding the rest of the children about proper first aid steps; the two then teased one another like they were real sisters.
In an Instagram story posted by Barbie on May 6, she shared a selfie with Zia, even adding a white heart to symbolize their special bond.
Beyond the peaceful moments in the show, the inevitable tension also unfolds through the tragic massacre of Isla Damai’s residents and the arrest of Datu Rahman (played by Jaime Fabregas) by Task Force Alpha’s head agent Marcus Reyes (Richard Gutierrez). With Jalil still recuperating on the island, it was Jamilah who first followed their father, Datu Rahman, at NLEA’s press conference.
To avoid suspicion, Jamilah chose not to wear her hijab temporarily and exchanged extremely worried gazes with Datu Rahman as he was taken to NLEA’s prison cell for the mean time before the talks of a trial. Behind the said emotional scene, Barbie uploaded another selfie, this time with her onscreen father figure in the show, Jaime Fabregas.
While Datu Rahman was being moved to another facility, Jalil briefly managed to rescue him, but he was soon after abducted again by an unidentified armed group. Jalil then returns to Barangay Surga, where Omar (played by Edgar Mortiz) and his wife Norhana (Malou Crisologo), two of Datu Rahman’s closest friends, welcomed him with open arms despite the dangers of Jalil’s plans to save the Datu.
Seconds later, Jalil gets shocked by Jamilah’s unexpected arrival, who wants to help her brother at all costs. The siblings argue for a bit until Jalil finally calms down with Jamilah’s compassionate reasons.
In the same Instagram story, Barbie snaps a smiley group photo with Jaime, Edgar, and Malou.
In the aftermath of Jalil searching for Datu Rahman at Dapayan Warehouse, he dangerously encounters Marcus, Lara (Bela Padilla), and Felix (Baron Geisler). Unfortunately, Jalil gets shot by a raging Felix, who desperately wanted him dead since he was already a wanted individual.
Through Omar and Jamilah’s swift efforts, they were able to transport Jalil away from the three Task Force Alpha members and the ongoing search operation at Barangay Surga. To cure Jalil’s lethal gunshot wound, Omar contacts Teresa (played by Susan Africa), the only trustworthy doctor he personally knows.
Soon enough, Jamilah realizes that she can gain more information about Marcus, the man who arrested Datu Rahman, through Teresa, Marcus’ mother. She then decides to become a nurse on Teresa’s emergency team.
Barbie, lastly, shared a gorgeous selfie with Susan, playfully pretending that they were off duty.
To commemorate the intense scene of saving Jalil’s life, JRB Creative Production also shared the behind-the-scenes photo of Barbie, Gerald, Edgar, and Malou, even squeezing in a joke about how they would all shed tears while filming.
Watch how Jamilah’s selfless acts will help Jalil in rescuing Datu Rahman in “Blood vs Duty,” streaming on iWant and airing weeknights at 8pm on ABS-CBN sa ALLTV2, A2Z, Kapamilya Channel, and Kapamilya Online Live (KOL).
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READ: How honoring Jamilah’s culture fueled Barbie Imperial’s performance in “Blood vs Duty”