The Kapag Puno Na Ang Salop trilogy (English: When The Measure is Full) was a series of Filipino action films starring local action movie legend Fernando Poe, Jr.. Poe served as the trilogy's producer and directed the second installment.
The first film, Kapag Puno Na Ang Salop, was released in 1987 by Poe's own FPJ Productions. In this, stalwart Cowboy Cop Sergeant Isagani Guererro (Poe) is pitted against the powerful and corrupt Judge Valderama (Eddie Garcia). Valderama, while the local town magistrate. When Valderama's crimes go too far, Guererro follows him to Manila where he investigates the judge's criminal activities.
Two years later, in Ako Ang Huhusga (I Shall Judge), Guererro has been promoted as his town's police chief and Valderama, now in jail, is seeking parole, while also running a massive drug syndicate while behind bars. When Valderama's henchmen make an unwelcome return and gun down Guererro's second-in-command (in addition to sending his wife into the hospital), Guererro returns to Manila to ensure Valderama doesn't walk free.
Finally, in 1990, the trilogy was concluded with Hindi Ka Na Siskatan Ng Araw (You Won't See Another Sunrise), where Valderama attempts to return to his criminal activities, this time taking up arms smuggling. It's up to Guererro (again) to ensure Valderama finally pays for his crimes.
As the films are rare on home video (and due to the laxness of Filipino anti-video piracy laws), all three films are available on YouTube. However, most copies are taken from TV broadcasts, which tend to edit out some of the harsher language.
The films contain examples of:
- Bigger Stick:
- Guererro in every film has a special weapon on hand that gives him an extra advantage over Valderama's mooks. In the first, it's an MP5 submachine gun and in the second it's a SPAS-12 shotgun.
- Taken up to eleven in the third movie's climax. At first, Guererro has a Colt Commando carbine with a 93-round drum mag, but he later loses it. He then finds a M72 LAW grenade launcher, which he later uses to blow Valderama to smithereens.
- Buried Alive: What happens to Valderama at the end of the second film by Guererro as a form of Pay Evil unto Evil. In the third film, Valderama tries to do this to Guererro as revenge.
- Country Mouse / Cowboy Cop: Guerrero, being a cop from the country, is a bit less willing to stick to regulations and is unused to city life in the first film. One notable example has him hold a doctor at gunpoint after he angrily demands a deposit that a patient can't make.
- Corrupt Politician: Valderama, though having the facade of a respected judge, is also the head of a criminal syndicate that runs every concievable illegal racket. This includes hijacking, murder, payola, drug running, and weapons smuggling.
- Crippling Castration: At the climax of Ako Ang Huhusga, Guererro delivers one to Maramag with a SPAS-12 shotgun.
- Da Chief: Guererro reports to Major Fernandez, head of a Manila poluce station when he vists the city in gis investigations against Valderama. Guerero himself was also promoted to his town's local police chief in the interim between the first film and the second.
- Double Tap: Serial Killer Dante in the first film's grisly trademark is to deliver a Mozambique drill (one shot to the head, two to the body) against cops.
- Face–Heel Turn: Dectective Manasala, a reasonably plesant and standard cop who Guererro met in the first film, is revealed to be a Corrupt Cop on Valderama's payroll in the second film.
- Greasy Spoon: The Filipino variant, a carinderia (or eatery) is frequented by Guererro, Sibal, and Major Fernandez quite frequently.
- Heel–Face Turn: Defied in the sequel by Valderama and Maramag. While in prison (and after their release) they claim to have had a religious conversion, it's only a front to look good in court and to Guererro.
- Pay Evil unto Evil: Guererro sends death threats to Valderama in the second film by sending hearses and funeral wreaths, and when he finally gets to finish off Maramag, he castrates him. Then when he kills Valderama, he does it with a rocket launcher.
- Serial Killer: In the first film, Dante, a Cop Killer (dubbed a "psycho-killer" by Major Fernandez) makes a name for himself by gunning down police officers in a sadistic manner. When Guererro hears about this, he decides to challenge the man to avenge the deaths of his fellow cops. Elsewhere, Valderama also sees the opportunity to have Guererro killed and be free of any responsibility, so he has Dante hired to deal with Guerero.
- The Dragon: Valderama's main henchman for the first two films is Paquito Maramag, played by perrenial Filipino action film villain actor Paquito Diaz. In the third, Dado, his brother, takes over the role, played by Paquito's brother Romy.
- Title Drop: Guererro delivers this once per film to Valderama. In the third, Valderama does this twice in the climax.
- Too Dumb to Live: Happens twice in the first movie. Two thugs whose gang had been terrorizng Santa Marcela are arrested by Guerrerro. After Valderama posts bail for them, the two are told to stay out of town for a while. However, before leaving, they decide to kill Guerrero, who outdraws and kills them. Later on, sn old man who was screwed over by Valderama in a land deal tries stabbing him with a bricklayer's trowel and gets shot to death by the judge's bodyguards.
- True Companions: Guererro is this with Sergeant Sibal, who serves as his partner, played by one of FPJ's offscreen friends, Denicio Padillia.
- Quick Draw: Guererro's trademark skill, and Dante's in the first film. The latter also has a habit of performing a Mozambique drill to execute his targets. When the two finally meet, Guererro out draws him and delivers a Mozambique drill of his own to Dante.
- Would Hit a Girl / Would Hurt a Child: Valderama's goons have no qualms trying to kill off Guererro's wife and lady friends. Likewise, he has no qualms about murdering a teenager he had an affair with to preserve his reputation and his thugs have no issue trying to kill a young boy to Leave No Witnesses.
