Here is a list of characters that we see in the Philippine TV series Batang Quiapo.
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Tanggol and his family
Tanggol
Jesus Nazareno "Tanggol" A. Dimaguiba
"Alam mo David, matagal na kitang pinagpapasensyahan e, dahil kapatid kita. Pero hindi mo nga ako ginalang, ninakawan mo pa ako."
Portrayed by: Coco Martin
The protagonist of the series, he is a street rat and pickpocket who wants to lift his family out of poverty and give them a new life.
- Anti-Villain: He is a cross between the Woobie and Noble variants. He spent his childhood in the city of Quiapo while being constantly belittled and beaten by his stepfather thanks to him being the Child by Rape of a wanted criminal, with the implication that this constant abuse is what led him to become a petty criminal. Yet, despite being a thief, he is kind to those who he loves like his grandmother Tindeng, his childhood friends or the two street urchins he befriends (who later come to see him as a father figure) and has certain lines that even he won't cross.
- All for Nothing: Everything that he and his friends had to go through just to steal the briefcase containing money, which they hoped would be used to pay for Marsing's medical bills, is rendered moot when Mokang reveals the large sums of money she received from selling herself to Ramon.
- Chivalrous Pervert: Occasionally flirts Mokang and makes dirty jokes about her, but he does truly love her as a love interest and saves her from being sexually assaulted by the much more depraved JP. He's absolutely miserable when she has to become a hostess to support Marsing's hospital bills, and sobs uncontrollably when it turns out she sold her own body in exchange for money.
- Drugs Are Bad: Unlike the rest of his gang, he absolutely does not want any part in selling drugs to other people. He's immediately disgusted at the Red Phoenix for selling them, and has no qualms stealing their drug money because of this.
- Fatal Flaw: His kleptomania. Stealing a suitcase full of drugs (thinking it to be money) only results in more trouble for his friends and family, and the ire of the Montenegro family.
- A Hero Is Born: The very first episode ends with the birth of Tanggol, which sets the stage for the rest of the series.
- It Gets Easier: Tanggol is initially shocked at shooting Kidlat, telling Enteng later that he deeply regrets doing it. He eventually lets go of his qualms with handling guns and killing people by the time he encounters the Montenegro crime syndicate, and actively starts killing policemen during his botched attempt to steal the Red Phoenix's money stash.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Him saving Mokang from getting raped by JP twice backfires on him horribly when Mokang gets her scholarship revoked, and he becomes a wanted man for his brash actions as a result.
- Parental Substitute: Tolits and Tala, two street beggars who he befriends, eventually look up to him as a father figure and later try to move in with him. Given that their stepfather is later revealed to be an abusive jerk who kicked them out of their house, it's easy to see why. When he has to let them go home with their mother, Tanggol is visibly saddened at them leaving.
- Real Men Love Jesus: He's certainly no slouch in a fight, and even stops by a church to pray before snatching a woman's prized necklace. While in prison, he also makes a promise to God that he won't kill anymore people and it really pains him when Chief Espinas forces him to break that promise.
- Willfully Weak: He only lets himself get beaten by Rigor out of one-sided respect for him because (for all his faults) he's still Tanggol's father at the end of the day.
David
David A. Dimaguiba
"Camille, bakit? Mahal naman natin ang isa't isa. Tsaka parehas naman nating ginusto to a."
Portrayed by: McCoy de Leon
Tanggol's brother, and Rigor's favorite son, who wants to be a police officer just like his father. Like his father, he does not like his brother Tanggol and often chastises him for his actions.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: David likes to project the image of a righteous hard-working student to both his parents and classmates, when he is anything but one. He's been stealing Tanggol's money so he can use it to impress both his crush and friends, and later pressures said crush into becoming his girlfriend before getting her drunk. Once they are all alone in a motel room, he drops all pretense of being a gentleman and rapes her.
- Cain and Abel: He's the Bitch in Sheep's Clothing Cain to Tanggol's Jerk with a Heart of Gold Abel.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Sure, he may be a huge prick who willingly weaseled his way in the Montenegro family by pretending to be Tanggol, but even he showed a degree of anger when Ramon kicked Mokang's parents out of the Montenegro family mansion.
- Love Makes You Evil: David's more unethical acts are the result of his willingness to do absolutely anything to earn Camille’s love, even if that means stealing from Tanggol and borrowing money he has no chance of paying back. His rape of her is even a heavily misguided attempt to finally confirm their relationship, and he becomes willing to make a deal with Olga when he's offered more money to support her and their child.
- Non-Action Guy: Out of the three brothers, he's the one with the least experience in combat. When Tanggol confronts him about the stolen money, he ends up on the receiving end of a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown that leaves him bloody.
- Parental Favoritism: David is Rigor's favorite son, since (in his eyes) he's studying to get his family out of poverty and is a good law-abiding citizen unlike Tanggol.
- Red Right Hand: Gains a few bruises to the face courtesy of Tanggol. These highlight that, despite his surface-level Nice Guy personality, he's hiding some unreasonable traits that only come out when he's alone with other people.
- Single-Target Sexuality: David loves Camille, and her only. While the rest of his friend group are rather lax when it comes to having girlfriends, he’s the only one who stays loyal and actually makes an attempt to court her. This reaches unhealthy levels when he forces her into becoming his girlfriend, and later gets her blackout drunk to so that he can rape her.
- Villain with Good Publicity: Most of the people at the school see him as the quintessential gentleman, a hard-working and intelligent man who studies hard to get his family out of poverty while occasionally standing up for other people who are being wronged. In truth, he's guilty of belittling both his grandmother and older brother while stealing Tanggol's money. Not only that, but his budding romance with Camille takes a turn for the worse after he gets her drunk and rapes her, while smugly using a "Not If They Enjoyed It" Rationalization to gaslight her into keeping it a secret.
Santino
Santino A. Dimaguiba
"Kapag naging sikat na boksingero na ako, at naging world champion, lahat ng gusto nila Nanay, madali ko nang maibibigay."
Portrayed by: Ronwaldo Martin
The youngest of the three brothers, who wants to become a professional boxer.
- Annoying Younger Sibling:
- To David. Both of them come to blows over David stealing Tanggol's money, and he believes him to be deserving of the absolutely brutal beatdown he received at Tanggol's hands.
- Downplayed with Tanggol. While the two may tease each other as brothers do, Santino has a much better relationship with Tanggol than he does with David.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Him provoking a fight with David by comparing him to Tanggol causes the latter to be kidnapped and accept Olga's deal that he has to disguise as Ramon's real son in exchange for paying his girlfriend's hospitalization.
Rigor
Patrolman Rigor Dimaguiba
"Tarantado ka... hindi ka na nagtanda!"
Click here to see him when he was young
"Nasaan ang hayop na iyon?! NASAAN?!" Portrayed by: John Estrada, Ejay Falcon (young)
A police officer, and Tanggol's stepfather, who does not acknowledge Tanggol as his own son and regularly abuses him.
- Arch-Enemy: Ramon Montenegro, who he precieves to be the reason why his life is now a living hell.
- Abusive Parents: Towards his adopted son Tanggol. When Tanggol beat up David, he resorts to mowing him down with an assault rifle.
- Foil: To former policeman and old friend Berting. Rigor and Berting were both honest cops in dangerous environments, but that's where the similarities end. Rigor is quick to anger, and isn't a stranger to shouting at members of his own family. Berting is shown to be calm and personable. Rigor has an overly cynical worldview while being a firm non-believer in people changing for the better. Berting remains optimistic and truly believes that people like Tanggol can change. Finally, Rigor treats most of his family (with the exception of David) like crap and doesn't care all that much for them while Berting loved his family when there were still alive, and they ended up paying the price for him being an honest cop.
- Oh, Crap!: Has a horrified look on his face when Lena tells him that they slept together after a night of drinking, and somehow looks even more horrified when Lena tells him that their time together was her first time.
- Offing the Offspring: Comes very close to killing Tanggol after he beats up David, though his non-blood relation to Tanggol means Rigor doesn't actually consider it killing a son of his. He later comes dangerously close when he shoots Tanggol in the aftermath of him and his gang stealing the Red Phoenix's briefcase.
Marites
Ma. Teresa "Marites" Asuncion-Dimaguiba
"Umabot na ba tayo sa... papatayin mo si Tanggol?"
Click here to see her when she was young
"Anak ko iyan! Anak ko iyan..." Portrayed by: Cherry Pie Picache, Miles Ocampo (young)
Rigor's wife, and the mother of Tanggol, David, and Santino. She was raped by Ramon Montenegro during his escape from the police, which led to the conception of Tanggol.
- Parents as People: Tries her best to be kind to all her sons and raise them right, but is unfortunately unable to turn away Tanggol from his path of crime.
- Maternity Crisis: Ends up having to give birth to Tanggol near the place where she works as a fish vendor, screaming from both the pain and the flashbacks she has of the day she got raped by Ramon. Not only that, but she has to cut baby Tanggol's umbilical cord using a butcher knife. Marites had more than enough reason to scream.
Tindeng
Matilde "Tindeng" Asuncion
"Kilala ko ang apo ko. At hindi siya magsisinungaling sa akin."
Click here to see her when she was young
"Sinapit ko din ang nangyari sa iyo! Pero kahit kailan ay di ko naisip iyang gagawin mo! Kasalanan sa Diyos yan!"Portrayed by: Charo Santos, Precious Lara Quigaman (young)
Tanggol's grandmother. She always protects Tanggol from his father and his brother David, and guides him on his life.
- Cool Old Lady: She is this towards Tanggol and protects him from Rigor's wrath.
- Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: She's way more hotheaded and prone to defend what is right than her more effeminate husband.
Noy
Ricardo "Noy" Asuncion, Jr.
"E kung maghanap na lang tayo ng bagong pagkakakitaan? ...mang-isnatch, mang-holdap..."
Portrayed by: Lou Veloso, Karl Medina (young)
Tanggol's grandfather.
- Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: He's the voice of reason towards the impulsive Tindeng.
Mokang and her family
Mokang
Monica "Mokang" Dimaculangan
"Hoy! Hindi ka pa nagiging gwapo sa paningin ko kahit nakainom ako..."
Portrayed by: Lovi Poe
Tanggol's childhood friend and love interest.
- Character Death: Shot in the head by Olga.
- Rags to Riches: The lives of Mokang and her family would change for the better after she married Ramon. After their wedding, Mokang and Ramon went on an opulent honeymoon where she got to enjoy the high life.
- So Beautiful, It's a Curse: From her lustful teacher to random hotel guests on her honeymoon, a lot of men in the series end up lusting after Mokang and it's unfortunately a regular problem for her.
- Tomboy with a Girly Streak: Mokang is by far the most tomboyish among her classmates (which is a given since she grew up in Quiapo), but her room is filled with stuffed animals and she goes the extra mile to make sure she gets a pretty dress for her debutante.
- Tsundere: Type A towards Tanggol. She initially hates him but once he saves her from JP's sexual advances, she becomes closer to him.
- What the Hell, Hero?: She berates Tanggol for causing trouble in the former club she is working with. This causes a rift towards each other which leads Mokang to move to a much bigger and nicer bar, and Tanggol in a terrible state as he is framed for Roda's attempted murder and David entering the Montenegro syndicate posing as Ramon's real son on his own volition.
Marsing
Marciano "Marsing" Dimaculangan
"Hinding-hindi ako papayag na mawala sa atin itong bahay na ito. Hinding-hindi ako papayag."
Portrayed by: Pen Medina
Mokang's father, who works as a vendor.
- Beware the Nice Ones: He's a decent father to Mokang but he's quick to anger once her future was affected when Tanggol's No-Holds-Barred Beatdown on JP causes the school to expel Mokang and beats him down alongside Edwin. He lets them go once Rigor arrives at Mokang's home, knowing that he would kill not only Tanggol but his daughter as well because of Tanggol's association with her.
- Parents as People: He lets Mokang go with Tanggol and his friends to protect her from Rigor's wrath.
- Rags to Riches: Suddenly became rich, along with the rest of his family, after his daughter Mokang married Ramon. He shows up in Quiapo owning a Mercedes-Benz, which surprised his friends who tried to pull off an insurance con on him....
- Riches to Rags: ...only for it to not last long when Ramon kicked him and Nita out of the mansion. Now they are forced to return back to their old house and live back there once more.
Nita
Nonita "Nita" Dimaculangan
"Anak, magtiwala ka sa tatay mo. Alam mo, wala itong pinangako na hindi niya tinupad."
Portrayed by: Susan Africa
Mokang's mother, who also works in the same stall as her husband Marsing. She wants Mokang to finish school so she can lift them out of poverty.
- Gossipy Hens: When there's bad news in the neighborhood like Rigor beating up Tanggol, she tends to listen.
- Happily Married: In contrast to Marites and Rigor's rocky marriage, Nita has a loving and stable marriage with her husband Marsing. She even tells off Edwin for not believing in Marsing's promises about lifting them out of poverty and places a great deal of trust in her husband.
Edwin
Edwin Dimaculangan
"Basta, ang importante, matubos natin itong bahay natin."
Portrayed by: Ping Medina
Mokang's older brother, who begs on the street to earn money. He is also working with the Tondo gang because of his debts with them.
- Ain't Too Proud to Beg: Desperately begs for his life after the Tondo gang beat him up and try to execute him following the incident at Mokang's debutante, which leads to him finally joining the Tondo gang as a member full-time.
- Cain and Abel: He's the Cain to Mokang's Abel. Edwin is much more lazy and vindictive than his responsible sister.
- Even Evil Has Standards: He may have been a hypocritical piece of work who is not averse to engaging in crime, but Tanggol ruining Mokang's college life is just a step too far and beats Tanggol for that along with his father, at least according to him.
- Hypocrite: Regularly chastises Tanngol for being a criminal and troublemaker despite him also working with criminals that are no better (and in some aspects, worse) than Tanggol himself.
- Pay Evil unto Evil: He, along with the rest of the Tondo gang, almost kill Roda. Roda on the other hand is a condescending Cranky Landlord who is willing to beat up and imprison people who haven't pay his overpriced rent even if their reason is justifiable, which makes him less sympathetic.
- Slowly Slipping Into Evil: He merely starts out as a lazy slacker who occasionally helps a criminal gang, but he becomes much more ruthless after being strong-armed into joining them. By the end, he's fully willing to beat up innocents and rob stores to aid the Tondo gang.
- Trapped in Villainy: Edwin only gives the Tondo gang tips on how to navigate the criminal world of Quiapo because he is in their debt, and later joins them when they are about to kill him.
The Montenegro family and their group
Ramon
Ramon Montenegro
"Be careful with your words, Vladimir. You are in our country. Foreigners like you, who insult us, we feed them to the pigs."
Click here to see him when he was young
"Tandaan mo ng mabuti itong mukhang ito. Babalikan kita, pagkalipas ng siyam na buwan. Babawiin ko sa iyo ang anak ko." Portrayed by: Christopher de Leon, Coco Martin (young)
The son of a drug cartel leader, he is the biological father of Tanggol, who was concieved when he raped Marites during his escape and was captured by the police after a bank robbery in Quiapo. 23 years later, he would break out of prison and now helps his father run the drug cartel business while simultaneously looking for his son.
- Age-Gap Romance: He's much older than the 18-year old Monique, but genuinely loves her nonetheless.
- Dirty Old Man: Still chooses to continue his Hookers and Blow lifestyle despite being much more older than he was before his stay in prison, and he spends most of his free time at a strip club. He then falls in love with 18-year old Monique.
- One-Man Army: Mowed down many policemen and Quiapo residents during his rampage in the city's slum areas, and was only put down through a combination of a poisonous dart, being hit in the face with a blunt piece of wood, getting shot numerous times by Rigor and finally being beaten to bloody pulp by an angry mob. Even after his stint in prison, he can still handle a group of enemies despite being outnumbered.
- Parental Favoritism: His father, Don Julio, tends to favor him more than his (adopted) sister, Olga.
Olga
Olga Montenegro
"Alam niyang nandoon ang anak niya. At kapag nahanap niya iyun, siguradong mapupunta sa kanya ang Quiapo"
Portrayed by: Irma Adlawan, Ryza Cenon (young)
Ramon's sister, who usually assists Ramon in his operations. 23 years later, although she now has a son named Greg, her importance within the drug cartel has waned.
- Adoption Angst: Implied by the dour expression that she makes when Ramon reminds her about her non-blood relation to the rest of the Montenegros.
- The Corruptor: She is this towards David. When she kidnapped him, she gave him an agreement that he has to disguise as Ramon's real son in exchange for his freedom and money. David accepted her agreement without hesitation because he felt like he deserved the Montenegro's riches more than Ramon's biological son Tanggol. Considering his own hatred towards Tanggol and their shared disdain, David is shaping up to be on the darker path than Tanggol himself.
- Mafia Princess: She's Don Julio's daughter and serves as a much more proactive example than most, since Olga is no stranger to gunfights with the police as shown in the flashback.
- The Starscream: Plans to betray Julio and Ramon so that she and her son can lead the syndicate, even though Greg fails to complete transactions with other syndicates due to his hot temper. After his death, this makes her more motivated to oust both Ramon and Don Julio as the head of their syndicate and plans to make the lives of the Dimaguiba family a living hell, especially Tanggol.
Greg
Gregorio "Greg" Montenegro
"INSULTO SA AKIN ITO! I worked hard for this! Ang dami-dami ko nang perang pinasok sa pamilyang ito, pero ang gusto ng matandang iyan, e maging sunud-sunuran ako sa anak niya! I AM BETTER THAN HIM!"
Portrayed by: RK Bagatsing
Olga's son, and Ramon's nephew. Initially tasked with running the drug cartel's plan to expand overseas, his importance also waned after an operation gone wrong, and was instead relegated to being tasked to work with Ramon. He is quite hot-headed and has an explosive temper.
- Big Brother Instinct: Is very protective of his little sister in America who isn't even involved with crime, and tries his best to make sure she doesn't meet Ramon.
- Character Death: He gets shot to death by Tanggol during a shootout in Quiapo, making him the first major character in the series to die.
- Fatal Flaw: His bad temper and recklessness leads to a lot of problems for him and his family, with most transactions between him and other syndicates failing due to his inability to control his anger. In the end, his decision to engage Tanggol in a gunfight despite being heavily wounded results in a Multiple Gunshot Death.
- Hot-Blooded: In a business full of people with short tempers, Greg sticks out as being quick to anger and quite brash in carrying out his family's dirty work.
- Kick the Dog: Ends up Pistol-Whipping all of Tanggol's family members when interrogating them on his whereabouts. Even Tindeng and Noy (who even tells him that he won't fight back) end up bloodied at his hands.
- Villains Want Mercy: Greg weakly begs for his life when Tanggol has him at gun-point, and is justifiably given none by Tanggol who tells him that it's for his family.
Don Julio
Don Julio Montenegro
"Sa araw na ito, masasaksihan na ng buong mundo, ang pagkamatay ni Ramon Montenegro!"
Portrayed by: Tommy Abuel, Raul Montesa (young)
The patriarch of the Montenegro family, and the father of both Ramon and Olga. He is the leader of a powerful drug cartel, and his offspring help him run it.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: In spite of his many, many flaws he genuinely loves his son Ramon and is ecstatic to see him inherit the family business.
- Villain with Good Publicity: He's a Faux Affably Evil drug kingpin who hides a mask of a decent businessman.
Severino
Severino
"Sipagan niyo ang trabaho niyo, at ikalat niyo ang kalakal natin."
Portrayed by: Dindo Arroyo
The only survivor of Ramon's prison group (aside from Ramon himself) who now serves as his right-hand man.
- Character Death: Shot to death by David because He Knows Too Much about his real identity.
- The Dragon: Even while in prison, Severino served as Ramon's right-hand man when it came to supervising their drug trade. He then becomes Ramon's most loyal subordinate once they get out, helping him navigate Quiapo's criminal scene and personally carrying out his dirty work.
- Know When to Fold Them: Unlike Greg, Severino is willing to back down when he knows he is outmatched or outnumbered.
- He initially pleads with Ramon that they surrender to the police during their ill-fated jailbreak, pointing out that they're gonna run out of bullets sooner or later and that the cops are too many.
- When he and his men are stopped from following Tindeng by the Dimaguibas' angry neighbours, he relents and tells his men to stand down.
- When Col. Suarez's backup manage to reach Rigor and Mando, lifting them out of their losing gunfight with the Montenegro family henchmen, Severino immediately acknowledges that it's a lost cause and orders his goons to retreat.
- Villain Has a Point: He's correct in his assessment that Edwin is a greedy opportunist, and that he only wants to use Ramon for his own benefit.
Paquito and Diego
Paquito and Diego
Portrayed by: Paolo Serrano (Paquito) and Ivan Carapiet (Diego)
Two henchmen from the Montenegro family who work for Greg and Olga.
Bullet
Bullet
Portrayed by: Renz Fernandez
A henchman for the Montenegro family working for Ramon.
The Caballero family and their group
Don Facundo
Don Facundo Caballero
Portrayed by: Jaime Fabregas
The patriarch of the Caballero family, who dominates the gambling business.
Señora Bettina
Señora Bettina Caballero
Portrayed by: Tessie Tomas
Don Facundo's wife, first encountered in Quiapo by Tindeng and Noy, who helped her after some robbers tried to steal her bag.
Pablo
Pablo Caballero
Portrayed by: Elijah Canlas
Don Facundo's grandson and the heir of the Caballero family fortune.
Ruben
Ruben
Portrayed by: Yce Navarro
Pablo's assistant.
Augustus and his group
Augustus
Police Major General Augustus Pacheco
"Kilala mo ako. Sa lahat ng ayaw ko, yung pinaglilihiman ako."
Portrayed by: Julio Diaz, Dominic Roco (young)
Amanda's lover. He is a crime boss, who also works as a high-ranking police officer in the NLEA. His group controls the whole of Quiapo, and he holds a huge grudge with Supremo.
- Chess Motifs: Refers to the Red Phoenix Group as pawns in a game of Chess who needed to be sacrificed, and later not-so-subtly threatens Amanda when he tells her that sacrificing a queen is not off the table.
- Dirty Cop: He's a high-ranking police officer who heads a drug syndicate and he's using his position to hide his illegal activities.
- I Own This Town: His criminal group controls the entirety of Quiapo, and they sure aren't afraid to say it.
- Unseen No More: Augustus is initially mentioned by Supremo as the one who he seeks revenge on for a good chunk of the series while not appearing physically. He later appears onscreen, and is revealed to be a high-ranking policeman in addition to his status as a crime boss.
Amanda
Amanda Salonga
"Kung kinilala mo kung kanino ang teritoryong ito, edi sana buhay ka pa."
Portrayed by: Lorna Tolentino, Lara Fortuna (young)
Augustus' girlfriend, and his second-in-command.
- Conflicting Loyalty: She may have been Augustus' The Dragon, but she hides a massive regret about betraying Supremo and she still has feelings for him. She hides this by acting like a tough Iron Lady.
Eric
Eric
"Hawak namin ang Quiapo! AMIN ANG QUIAPO!"
Portrayed by: Kiko Matos
Amanda's main henchman.
- Bald of Evil: A ruthless criminal enforcer who also happens to be completely bald.
- Bitch Slap: The first time we see him on-screen, he slaps a drug courier boss multiple times in the face while he is interrogating him. He also did this to Mr. Dy over the heinous act of speaking Chinese to his wife during the ransom negotiations.
- The Dragon: Serves as Amanda's loyal right-hand man who does most of the dirty work for her. This technically makes him a dragon to a dragon since Augustus puts so much trust in Amanda that she serves as his number-two.
- Undying Loyalty: Unwavering in his loyalty to Amanda, and willing to cover for her when she escapes Augustus to be with Supremo once again.
Mulong
Mulong
"Maagang sinalubong ni Primo ang Bagong Taon!"
Portrayed by: Val Iglesias
Augustus' primary henchman, who is highly loyal to him.
National Law Enforcement Agency servicemen
Col. Suarez
Police Lt. Col. Manuel Suarez
"Hindi ko gusto ang tono ng pananalita mo."
Portrayed by: King Gutierrez
Rigor's boss in the police station that he works at. He also has familial connections with Roda, the landlord of the Dimaguibas and the Dimaculangans.
- Affably Evil: He acts like a Reasonable Authority Figure towards Rigor and Mando, but once his relative Roda was affected by Tindeng and Tanggol's actions, he has no hesitation to put them behind bars.
- Bald of Evil: He's maybe bald, but he's Roda's main enforcer when someone is not paying his rent. Just ask Tindeng whom he had put her in jail.
- Foil: Towards his higher officer Augustus. Both of them are Dirty Cops but while Augustus is a drug lord hiding under the veneer of a righteous policeman that isn't afraid to sacrifice his subordinates for the good of his career, Col. Suarez is a mostly well-intentioned officer that serves as Roda's protector when someone is not paying his overpriced rent.
Mando
Patrolman Armando "Mando" Mendoza
"Tanggol, alam mo nung bata ka pa lang, itinuring na kita na parang tunay kong anak."
Portrayed by: Allan Paule, Marlo Mortel (young)
Rigor's partner in the police station. He is also the godfather of Tanggol.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: He's probably the only decent cop in the show, attempting to talk Tanggol out of his criminal lifestyle while also being concerned for his safety.
Lena
Police Corporal Lena Cortez
"Rigor, tatandaan mo, kaya nga ako humahanga sayo e, kasi ikaw ang nakikita ko na pinakamagaling, pinakamatapang, pinakamaprinsipyo, at isang huwaran na pulis sa presinto natin."
Portrayed by: Mercedes Cabral
One of Rigor's co-workers in the police station that he works at.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Has feelings towards Rigor but is willing to drug him and rape him to reciprocate her feelings towards him.
- Dirty Cop: She's willing to drug Rigor and have sex with him, as long as her desire is fulfilled.
Jacobe
Police Lieutenant Luis Jacobe
"Ang mga katulad mo, salot sa lipunan. Ang dapat sa'yo, patayin!"
Portrayed by: Victor Silayan
A ruthless police officer appointed to the Quiapo district by Augustus. He also happens to be Augustus' godson.
- Dirty Cop: Well, since he is Augustus' godson, the apple clearly doesn't fall far from the tree. When he and Samonte finally catch up to Tanggol, they beat the hell out of him instead of, you know, actually capturing him. He later participates in the tortures of Primo, Berting, Lucio, and Turko.
Samonte
Police Lieutenant Mario Samonte
"Tenyente, patayin na natin 'to. Baka dumami pa e."
Portrayed by: Jorel Ramirez
A police lieutenant serving as Jacobe's partner in the precinct.
Jail wardens and prisoners
Espinas
Jail Chief Brigadier General Dolores Espinas
"Kapag nakita ko ang katapatan mo, at ang husay mo Tanggol, ikaw.... Ikaw ang ipapalit ko kay Bong."
Portrayed by: Jaclyn Jose
The chief warden of the prison that Tanggol and his group are sent to, who is credited for all the amenities that the prison has.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: How Espinas "welcomes" Tanggol into the prison, under Olga's orders. She has her men torture him before personally shocking him with a car battery several times.
Balatucan
Jail Warden Colonel Gerardo Balatucan
"Hello, Bubbles love! Pabili naman diyan ng pampalakas ko."
Portrayed by: Robert Seña
Espinas' right hand man, who oversees much of the prison's activities.
- Character Death: The first casualty of the Prison Week riot as he was shot in the head by Bong.
- Dirty Old Man: He is attracted to the much younger Bubbles, and tries to ask her for a date, despite him having a family. Naturally, Bubbles rejects his offer.
Macasantos
Jail Lieutenant Antonio Macasantos
"Chief, mukhang lumalaki na ang ulo ng grupo ni Bong, baka kailangan nang kastiguhin. Lumalaki na ang sungay e."
Portrayed by: Lao Rodriguez
A jail warden who serves as Espinas' aide.
- Bald of Evil: He is the lapdog of General Espinas, and he happens to be bald.
Mang Celso
Celso Zabala
"Iyan ang welcome namin sa inyo, para mawala ang kayabangan sa mga katawan ninyo."
Portrayed by: Soliman Cruz, Jim Pebanco (young)
The "mayor" of the jail cell that Tanggol and his group are sent to. He also enforces the rules and the daily schedule of the prison.
- Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: When one of his fellow prison elders takes pity on Tanggol and his gang due to their rough upbringing on the streets, Celso quickly reminds him that the criminal path they took was of their own volition.
Bong
Bong
"Kapag nalaman ko na pumuporma ka pa rin kay Bubbles, kakarnihin kita at ifa-flush kita sa inidoro!"
Portrayed by: Vandolph Quizon
The leader of the "Batang Divisoria", a group of prisoners who all serve as Espinas' hitmen outside the prison.
- A Father to His Men: One of his only redeeming qualities is that, much like Tanggol, he cares a lot about the lives of friends. This is shown to be reciprocated when the Batang Divisoria desperately tell him to survive once he starts bleeding out in the aftermath of their botched assassination attempt.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: He and his gang manage to get away with a lot of things they normally would be punished for due to their status as Chief Espinas' primary enforcers and hitmen.
- Villainous Valour: He refuses to call off the mission to kill Congressman Sevilla even when it becomes clear that he and the Batang Divisoria are incredibly outmatched by the Congressman's well-armed bodyguards.
- Yandere: He is madly in love with Bubbles, and would do anything just to make her love him. In one instance, he, along with his men show up to Mayor Celso's cell to attack Tanggol and his friends just because Bubbles gave food to Tanggol. He even threatens to kill Tanggol if he interacts with Bubbles again.
Bubbles
Bubbles
"Alam 'nyo, kayong dalawa, matulog na din kayo."
Portrayed by: Ivana Alawi
Celso's granddaughter who works in the prison as a storeowner.
- Beauty Equals Goodness: Subverted. While she's definitely a lot more good-looking than the other women in the prison, Bubbles is still a criminal who doesn't hesitate to murder people and harm innocents.
- Dark Action Girl: Made a living as a professional bank robber prior to her imprisonment, and now serves as one of Chief Espinas' hitmen.
- Foil: Serves as one to Mokang. While both of them act as Tanggol's tomboyish and combat-capable love interests who initially act coldly to him, they couldn't be more different. Mokang is Tanggol's childhood friend, having been with him through both ups and downs in their lives while Bubbles only meets Tanggol during his stay in prison (which is when he is at the unquestionably lowest point in his life). Mokang lives a mostly crime-free life up until Marsing's accident, while Bubbles was born into a family of criminals and was a member of syndicate that robbed banks before her boyfriend's death. Furthermore, Mokang has the same Thou Shall Not Kill rule Tanggol initially had and discouraged him from taking lives while Bubbles obviously never had any scruples towards killing people and actively encourages Tanggol to murder their targets.
- It Gets Easier: Bubbles used to be as hesitant as Tanggol when it came to being part of Chief Espinas' hitmen, but over time pretty much got used to it. She tells as much when Tanggol starts
- Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: Much like the Batang Divisoria, her status as one of Espinas' enforcers means that she can't be punished at all.
Marcelo
Marcelo Macaraig
Portrayed by: Nonie Buencamino, Alex Medina (young)
A former lover of Olga, thought to have been dead for a decade until he showed up incarcerated at the NCF. He serves as a mentor figure for Tanggol, and aiding him in his plan to find Ramon and kill him.
Dante
Dante Martinez
Portrayed by: Dan Alvaro
Marcelo's right-hand man.
Supremo and his group
Supremo
Primo "Supremo" Medina
Portrayed by: Lito Lapid, Jomari Angeles (young)
A criminal that was arrested and sent to prison for a long time after being betrayed. After his release from prison, he rejoins his old group and makes preparations for his revenge plot on the people who were responsible for his imprisonment.
- Affably Evil: Supremo, despite being a career criminal seeking revenge against Augustus, is a Benevolent Boss to his subordinates and is much more level-headed than most of them. He also holds no ill will towards Tanggol and his gang for their attempt to pickpocket him, even secretly desiring that they join their gang one day.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Supremo is usually relaxed in even the most stressful situations, which makes it much more surprising when he gets absolutely angry when it comes to Augustus and Amanda's betrayal.
Lucio
Lucio Liberan
Portrayed by: Ronnie Lazaro, Viggo Franco (young)
A member of Supremo's group. Tanggol and his friends usually go to him whenever they want to turn whatever they stole from pickpocketing into cash.
- Knows a Guy Who Knows a Guy: Has many contacts throughout the criminal underworld, which helps him in his job of re-selling whatever Supremo's group have stolen.
Ben
Ben
Portrayed by: Mark Lapid
A member of Supremo's group. In season 2, he is arrested and sent to the same prison that Tanggol and his friends are sent to. He now helps Tanggol and his friends in navigating around the prison.
Turko
Turko
Portrayed by: Benzon Dalina
A member of Supremo's group.
Notable students
JP
JP Reyes
Portrayed by: Dino Imperial
Mokang's classmate who develops a liking for her.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Just like David, he also projects the image of a gentleman to Mokang and her family, but later on, he drops the act and tries to rape Mokang twice, on two separate occasions.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: After getting Mokang expelled from her school, he would later run Marsing over with his car and drive away while he is doing a fake accident con. He shows no remorse when his friends chastise him for it, only caring about how he and Mokang are "even" now.
Camille
Camille
Portrayed by: Yuki Takahashi
A girl at the school that David goes to, who is also David's love interest.
- I Have No Daughter!: On the receiving end of this since her parents discovered her Teen Pregnancy. Her father disowned her and put her in David's care.
- Spoiled Sweet: Lives in a Big Fancy House and has her every need answered by her parents, but she's a total sweetheart that doesn't have a malicious bone in her body. She's even shown to still be concerned about David's well-being even after he rapes her.
Sarah
Sarah
Portrayed by: Marie Preizer
Another one of Mokang's classmates who frequently bullies Mokang, and later on pretends to be her friend.
- Alpha Bitch: The most popular girl at Mokang's school, who regularly bullies Mokang for being poor and trying to get close to her crush JP.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: She and her Girl Posse try to block Tanggol from getting to JP and Mokang, but they begrudgingly step aside when Tanggol threatens to beat her up.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: She completely disappears from the series after Mokang is expelled from school.
Jill
Jill
Portrayed by: Sophie Reyes
Mokang's best friend at the school that she goes to.
- The Bus Came Back: Returns in the Season 1 finale to help Mokang with her wedding.
- Token Good Teammate: The only one among Mokang's classmates who doesn't bully her for being poor and makes a sincere effort to be her friend.
Tondo gang
Kidlat
Kidlat
Portrayed by: Bryan "Smugglaz" Lao
The leader of the Tondo gang, a group of criminals who also commit petty crimes just like Tanggol and his group. However, they are also more ruthless than Tanggol's group and aren't afraid to kill police officers.
- Big Bad Wannabe: He may be one of Tanggol's major foes, but he's a small fry when compared to Augustus and Don Julio who are the heads of rival syndicates. His criminal activities are only limited to stealing phones and bags, at least until Edwin gets him and the rest of the Tondo gang involved in the drug trade (though they still remain inferior to the Montenegro Family).
- The Corrupter: He forces Edwin to join in their gang and encourages him to steal bags and phones. Eventually, Edwin becomes a full member due to his father's hospitalization and becomes disturbingly enthusiastic in hurting people and stealing their things thanks to Kidlat's influence.
- No Name Given: His real name is not mentioned, along with the names of most of his men.
Teban
Rocky
Rocky
Portrayed by: Raymond "Flict-G" Rivera
One of Kidlat's subordinates.
- The Brute: He shares this role with Botchok due to their sizes.
Botchok
Botchok
Portrayed by: Romarico "Crazymix" Superable
A pudgy member of the Tondo gang.
- The Brute: He shares this role with Rocky.
- Fat Bastard: Pudgy and a complete bastard. When he was imprisoned, he complained about the food instead of everything else.
- Skewed Priorities: Stole a bottle of water in the middle of a police chase because he was thirsty and slightly tired. Needless to say, this results in him being caught and sent to prison.
Red Phoenix Triad
Angkong
Harrison Co Cheng / Angkong
"Bihira katulad mo. Matapang... madiskarte... just like the kind of person I look for to become a partner in business."
Portrayed by: Joonee Gamboa
The elderly leader of the Red Phoenix triad group, based in Binondo.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He clearly loves his daughter, to the point that she's willing to make a deal with Ramon just to get him and the Red Phoenix leadership out of prison.
- Evil Old Folks: Older than even Don Julio, and is a crime lord like him.
- Luxury Prison Suite: Thanks to his connections and importance, he and his colleagues get to stay in their relatively comfortable holding cell while in NLEA custody. He's even seen reading a newspaper at one point!
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Mostly referred to as "Angkong" by his Red Phoenix associates.
Aurora
Aurora Samson Cheng
Portrayed by: Odette Khan
The wife of Angkong and also the second-in-command of the Red Phoenix Triad.
- Character Death: Dies in the ambush orchestrated by Chief Espinas, though unlike her daughter Catherine, her death happens off-screen.
Catherine
Catherine Cheng
Portrayed by: Marina Benipayo
The daughter of Angkong and the mother of Charlene.
- Character Death: Dies alongside her mother during the ambush orchestrated by Chief Espinas.
Roy
Leroy "Roy" Tiu-Lee
Portrayed by: Jeffrey Tam
A high-ranking member of the Red Phoenix Triad who serves as the distributor for all of the organization's drugs.
Mr. Wu
Richardson Leong Wu
Portrayed by: Ricardo Cepeda
An associate of the Red Phoenix Triad.
- Put on a Bus: Sent back to Hong Kong by Angkong after his fight with Ramon over the deadline where the Red Phoenix Triad had to pay their debts to the Montenegros.
- You No Take Candle: Speaks in a very thick Chinese accent.
Quiapo citizens and minor characters
Abdul
Abdul
Portrayed by: Rez Cortez
The head of the Muslim community of Quiapo.
- Big Damn Heroes: When Tanggol is about to be captured by policemen, he and his men come in and take aim at the cops.
- Big Good: He's this for the Muslim community in Quiapo.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: He's never seen again after he treats Tanggol's gunshot wound, inflicted by Kidlat.
Roda
Roda
Portrayed by: Joel Lamangan
The landlord of Tindeng and Nita's stalls. He charges too much for the rent and when his tenants did not pay, his cop relative will jail them.
- Bad Boss: He constantly mistreats his guards and staff, shouting at them loudly, paying them very low wages and not letting them drink coffee when he assigns them to guard his house at nighttime since his money is inside, under the excuse of saving money.
- Cranky Landlord: He is the Dimaguibas and Dimaculangans' landlord. Not only is he a complete asshole who charges way too much for rent and acts as condescending as possible, but he later uses his familial connection with Rigor's boss to put Tindeng behind bars.
- Defiant to the End: Even while being held down by the Tondo gang, he makes no attempt to beg for his life and instead briefly breaks free from their grip. It's no use however, since Edwin stabs him after this brazen attempt at escaping.
- Depraved Homosexual: He may have come across as gay, but he's willing to put someone behind the bars when they didn't pay his rent.
- Not Quite Dead: After being stabbed by Edwin, he survives and later blames Tanggol for stealing and attempting to kill him.
- Riches to Rags: He loses everything he owned after his house burnt down during an attempted robbery by the Tondo gang.
Chicky
Chicky
Portrayed by: Toni Fowler
A sex worker, and one of Mokang's friends in Quiapo.
- Ms. Fanservice: She is wearing revealing clothing which fits her job as a High-Class Call Girl.
Banjo
Banjo
Portrayed by: Eric Fructuoso
The manager of the Chikababez Disco and KTV Bar, the bar that Chicky used to work in.
Vladimir
Vladimir
Portrayed by: Unknown
An Eastern European (most likely Russian) drug lord who arranges a transaction with Greg. After one of his chemists got killed in a shootout with the police, the transaction fails and he turned hostile to the Montenegros.
- Character Death: He gets shot by Ramon, killing him instantly, and immediately after that, Severino chops up his dead corpse and fed it to the pigs.
- Evil Versus Evil: He and the Montenegros are both unsympathetic drug lords who come to blows after a transaction gone wrong.
- Sacrificial Lion: He's a powerful drug lord who meets his end at the hands of Ramon, serving as an example of his ruthlessness.
Selene
Selene
Portrayed by: Shanaia Gomez
A dancer at the bar that Mokang works at, who clearly dislikes her for upstaging her and stealing her spotlight in the establishment.
Kiara
Kiara
Portrayed by: Angela Balagtas
A girl David first meets at a bar, who later becomes his mistress.
Cong. Sevilla
Congressman Sevilla
"I still want you Monique. Actually, I’ve been craving for you..."
Portrayed by: Jong Cuenco
A recurring character who first appeared in the series as one of Mokang's clients in the bar where she works at.
- Butt-Monkey: Whenever he appears in the series, bad things usually happen to him. He once had his drink spiked with sleeping pills and his money stolen by Mokang, beaten up by Ramon after he tries to force himself on Mokang, and had two attempts made on his life, one made by Bong's group that failed miserably, and another made by Tanggol and Bubbles where he got killed.
- Character Death: Subjected to a Multiple Gunshot Death by Tanggol and Bubbles. Given that he survived the earlier assassination attempt by the Batang Divisoria, they really made sure that he's dead for real this time.
- Corrupt Politician: A corrupt congressman who boasts that he can easily make his fellow congressmen agree with him once he bribes them.
- Dirty Old Man: Attempts to force himself on the 18-year old Monique and his mistress is later shown to be much younger than him.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He's revealed to have kids in his final appearance, genuinely wanting to see them again even though it's clear that his enemies are out to get him.
- I Surrender, Suckers: Gets down on his knees and desperately begs for his life when Bubbles makes her real intentions clear, but it turns out to be a ruse when he immediately tries to attack her soon after.
