As the villain, Augustus (Julio Diaz) steals, destroys, and takes lives without a second thought. Add to that, he is so obsessed, so consumed by his own twisted desires, that he’d kill just to possess the person he claims to love.
Check out this Kapamilya Toplist feature on Augustus' dangerous obsession toward Amanda (Lorna Tolentino) in “FPJ's Batang Quiapo.”
But first, we'd like to give you a quick refresher. When they were younger, the drug cartel leader Augustus had Amanda working for him. She was technically in a relationship with him, but only out of fear because, in reality, her heart had always belonged to Primo (Lito Lapid) since they were young. Out of jealousy, Augustus decided he'd kill Primo once he carried out a robbery that their group had planned. Amanda discovered Augustus' murderous agenda. Desperate to save Primo, she quickly tipped off the Quiapo police about the heist. Unfortunately, Primo was still caught and imprisoned, believing Amanda had betrayed him.
Years later, fate brought them back together when Primo saved Amanda from Augustus, giving them the chance to rebuild their love. This drove Augustus over the edge. "Akin ka lang, Amanda," he declared, convinced that he could win her back by showering her with lavish gifts, like the expensive jewelry he randomly gave as a peace offering after one of their fights. But by then, Amanda and Primo had already begun secretly seeing each other.
Augustus completely lost it and revealed just how twisted he truly is when Amanda finally chose her true love, Primo. There was a scene where he was desperately trying to call her, only to be ignored by her and Primo. He flew into a rage and hurled his phone in frustration. Seething with anger, he declared that Amanda would witness just how evil he could be once his patience runs out.
Augustus was basically the devil in disguise at this point. When his goons failed to track down Amanda and Primo, he took his cruelty to the next level by killing Amanda’s sister (Via Veloso) to send a chilling message. He had the lifeless body float in the river and then alerted the media, so that news about the ruthless murder would reach Amanda. It was his way of telling Amanda that he would eliminate her family one by one if she wouldn't come back to him. She didn't.
While alone in his room, Augustus thought to himself, "Kahit anong gawin mo, babalik at babalik ka sa akin, Amanda... Dapat sa akin lang umiikot ang buhay mo." He believes that he owns Amanda like a possession just because he provided her with a lavish life.
Then came the moment when he and the police finally caught Primo’s group. He got Amanda back, but not without losing his mind first because Primo and Amanda kissed before they were separated. Primo was then taken into police custody, while Amanda was imprisoned in Augustus’ dangerous world.
After witnessing that passionate moment, Augustus brutally beat Amanda while throwing in every single thing he had ever given her and her family as if they were some sort of debt she owed him. But when Amanda finally snapped and shouted back that what he was giving her wasn’t love—it was fear—and that Primo was the only man she truly loved, Augustus hit his breaking point. His patience ran out, and he slapped the woman he claims to love. Right then and there, he made a vow to kill Primo.
As he turned to leave, Amanda yelled that he might as well end her life too because she would rather die than be with him. That pushed him over the edge. He pulled out a gun and aimed it at her, but in the end, he just couldn’t pull the trigger. No matter how mad he gets, he'd still want to keep her, like she's just another one of his possessions.
He used everyone Amanda loved to keep a grip on her, even her helpless parents, to force her into choosing him. In one chilling scene, he handed her a box with Primo’s bloodied jacket inside. Amanda broke down the second she saw it. He said that he hopes Amanda finally understands just what he's capable of doing just to keep her.
"Wala ka nang pagpipilian kundi maging akin," he told Amanda, just before his right-hand man, Mulong (Val Iglesias), called to report that Primo and his men were dead after they blew up Primo’s vehicle. But we all know Primo didn’t die in that explosion.
"Wala nang ibang magmamahal sa'yo katulad ng pagmamahal ko. Wala ka nang ibang mamahalin kundi ako," he snarled at her while she lay in the hospital bed in another episode. But all Amanda gave him was anger as she fired back, telling him she never loved him and that she only stayed because he threatened her family. That hit Augustus hard. With a wounded ego and in a fit of rage, he strangled Amanda's neck with his hands and left her bleeding in the room. But even in that moment, he still couldn’t bring himself to kill her.
In the next scene, Augustus and his men stormed the place where Primo and Amanda were hiding. Amanda was hit by a bullet amid the gunfire. But Augustus couldn’t care less. He was fine with taking Amanda even if she was injured, as long as he got her back. Luckily, Primo and his group found the right moment to escape through the back gate and managed to flee from Augustus’ men.
As time went on, Augustus started using Amanda as leverage to get Primo. He treated her like a hostage when he got her, hoping to lure Primo out of hiding. But Primo wasn’t backing down. He spat out threats, telling Augustus that when they finally face off, it would be him and Amanda burying Augustus, not the other way around.
Where will Augustus' obsession lead to? Don't miss an episode of “FPJ's Batang Quiapo,” weeknights, on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, TV5, and A2Z.