Even though he used to be one of the villains who seemed to have lived to ruin other people’s lives, it cannot be denied that Don Julio Montenegro is probably among the most well-loved characters in “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo.”
And after being part of the show ever since it premiered in 2023, we’d witnessed his poignant farewell in the December 24 episode, in which he was fatally shot by Rigor (John Estrada), the commander of the Quiapo police with whom their group recently had a bloody and intense skirmish.
Now that Don Julio is already dead, the person behind the character, none other than veteran character actor Tommy Abuel, bade goodbye to everyone by reminiscing on his fondest on-and-off-cam moments on the show via this exit interview he had with CCM Film Productions.
Since his character is known for uttering the catchphrase “berigud!” (or the Tagalized version of “very good”) as his unique and amusing way of expressing his delight and affirmation whenever someone close to him did a great job—which origin he explained in a previous interview—Tommy was initially asked which scene he found very good.
Although he wasn’t included in it, the scene that made him exclaim “berigud” would be when Tanggol exacted vengeance against his adoptive father, Rigor (John Estrada), by engaging in a brutal fisticuff with him in front of their family and neighbors in San Dimas, wherein the latter ended up being beaten up by the former after finding out that he was not his biological father. With everything that he had done against the Montenegros, Don Julio thought that Rigor deserved what happened to him.
With regard to the unforgettable part of his character’s journey, it would be the “complete reversal of fortune” that the Montenegros went through, especially when their family and Tanggol’s friends had to seek refuge in a shipyard.
He described it as a change of scenery because after three years of living in a mansion, having lavish meals, and being clothed in luxurious clothes, they had to undergo drastic adjustments mentally, physically, and emotionally when they switched to a simple yet still chaotic life at a shipyard.
Don Julio may be sometimes abhorred for his irrational and wicked deeds, but he’s also admired for being a doting patriarch and a good person. Thus, we can say that he was able to apply his takeaways from the show, which are to love our family and be caring to other people.
“[Para sa] production, director, staff, maraming, maraming salamat sa inyong lahat, sa inyong pag-asikaso at pag-intindi habang ako ay nandirito at ginagawa itong teleseryeng ito. I will always be grateful to all of you. Salamat,” Tommy said about working with the “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” staff and crew over the past three years.
He also expressed his gratitude to one of his co-actors and directors, Coco, saying, “Just keep on doing whatever it is that you are doing. Pursue whatever it is you wanted to do, and good luck. God bless sa lahat ng iyong endeavor.”
Tommy capped his exit interview by enjoining avid viewers of the show since Day 1 to just keep on watching and thanking everyone who showed their support. He also promised that fans are going to expect more exciting happenings as the journey of Tanggol and the other characters continues.
Now that Don Julio is gone, more action-packed scenes from Tanggol and Ramon are going to be expected as they’ll definitely make the Guerreros and Rigor pay for what they’d done to their beloved patriarch. Thus, you better stay tuned to “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo,” weeknights at 8 PM, on Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, iWant, and Kapamilya Online Live (KOL).