How the Padillas utilize fame for the greater good

We have always been an admirer of Robin Padilla — from the time he was a popular action star, to his incarceration in prison, to his release as a re-baptized Muslim, to his current stature as possibly the only actor whose jail sentence didn’t hurt his popularity.

During the recently-concluded Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), Robin appeared in the film 10,000 Hours based roughly on the story of police officer, former Senator, fugitive from justice and now Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery Panfilo Lacson. The film then won 14 awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Robin. 

Today, Robin is at the helm of Sa Ngalan Ng Ama, Ina at Mga Anak, a joint project of Star Cinema and RCP Productions that brings together the Padilla clan for the very first time. It was a remarkable concept from Robin. All he had to do was make it work. In the cast were Robin’s wife Mariel Rodriguez, daughter Kylie Padilla, brother Rommel Padilla, RJ Padilla, Bela Padilla, Matthew Padilla, Gideon Padilla, Queenie Padilla, Royette Padilla and Daniel Padilla dubbed the “Teen King” of ABS-CBN. Robin himself plays Ongkoy, a legend among people in Mindanao.

Although he got the entire group working, Robin disavows being the “kingpin” of the film, pointing to nephew Daniel who has more fans to date than Robin can assemble. “It is Daniel’s time now,” he claims and challenges all family members to gather together in support of Daniel. In fact, during the said MMFF, Robin’s 10,000 Hours suffered at the box-office, while Daniel’s Pagpag did much better and became “the highest-grossing horror movie in the history of the MMFF” as reported by Star Cinema.

Sa Ngalan Ng Ama, Ina at Mga Anak is a period film set in the turbulent decade of the ’70s which is loosely based on the true-to-life story of Ongkoy, leader of the anti-vigilante group Kuratong Baleleng that gained fame as well as infamy in Ozamiz, Misamis Occidental, and aims to address the truth that shrouded them. Only the greater good ruled, love of family and country in those troubled times. We see Robin’s character holding sessions with the generals, the military, the katutubo who have always considered the land as theirs and the government.

It was actually a much more difficult role playing Ongkoy in Sa Ngalan ng Ama than it was playing Gabriel Alcaraz in 10,000 Hours. If 10,000 Hours had the genius of a Bb. Joyce Bernal holding fort, Sa Ngalan felt like such a personal project of Robin that had him credited for so many roles except that of director. 

So how did the film do? Judging from the crowd at the Megamall, it was better than that of 10,000 Hours which could be attributed to the presence of both Robin and Daniel together. Other than this, we are told that Sa Ngalan ng Ama was an attempt at bringing back the action genre. 

We don’t like the violence and senseless killings in Sa Ngalan ng Ama. The love angles lacked naturalness, and most importantly, the happenings that led to Daniel taking over Robin’s place in the leadership of the pack was handled awkwardly. However, we like the choice of locations that brought us to provincial life in the ’70s. We like the role of “Robinhood of Mindanao” as Ongkoy was called; the scenes of near-death when Ongkoy would be spared by someone he had helped in the past.

A good number of the dialogue is good and natural. We particularly like the scene where Robin is asked at a checkpoint if he was the “tuta of Marcos.” He answers that he is the “Buldog ng Taong Bayan.” We are impressed by the attempt at dialogue in the vernacular of the region although the written translations on the screen were superfluous. We also love the myth that Ongkoy was a god, which was proven by his intact body when his coffin was opened in modern times.

We hope the less than blockbuster showing of Sa Ngalan ng Ama, Ina at Mga Anak will not discourage those behind the project to try again with another action project, and give it enough time to jell and enough budget to be worth everyone’s time.

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