El Filibusterismo (TV series)

El Filibusterismo (Lit: Spanish for The Filibustering) is a 2016 Philippine historical drama television series based on the second novel written by Philippine national hero José Rizal and the sequel to Noli Me Tangere and, like the first book, was written in Spanish. Directed by Joel Lamangan, it is topbilled by JM de Guzman, Charee Pineda and Kazel Kinouchi. The series premiered on IBC's Kapinoy Primetime evening block and worldwide on Global IBC on June 6, 2016, replacing Gaano Kadalas Ang Minsan.

Plot
Thirteen years after leaving the Philippines, Crisostomo Ibarra returns as Simoun (JM de Guzman), a rich jeweler sporting a beard and blue-tinted glasses, and a confidant of the Captain-General. Abandoning his idealism, he becomes a cynical saboteur, seeking revenge against the Spanish Philippine system responsible for his misfortunes by plotting a revolution. Simoun insinuates himself into Manila high society and influences every decision of the Captain-General to mismanage the country’s affairs so that a revolution will break out. He cynically sides with the upper classes, encouraging them to commit abuses against the masses to encourage the latter to revolt against the oppressive Spanish colonial regime. This time, he does not attempt to fight the authorities through legal means, but through violent revolution using the masses. His two reasons for instigating a revolution are at first, to rescue María Clara (Kazel Kinouchi) from the convent and second, to get rid of ills and evils of Philippine society. His true identity is discovered by a now grown-up Basilio (TJ Trinidad) while visiting the grave of his deranged mother, Sisa, as Simoun was digging near the grave site for his buried treasures. Simoun spares Basilio’s life and asks him to join in his planned revolution against the government, egging him on by bringing up the tragic misfortunes of the latter's family. Basilio declines the offer as he still hopes that the country’s condition will improve.

Basilio, at this point, is a graduating medical student at the Ateneo Municipal. After the death of his mother, Sisa, and the disappearance of his younger brother, Crispín, Basilio heeded the advice of the dying boatman, Elías, and traveled to Manila to study. Basilio was adopted by Kapitan Tiago (DJ Durano) after María Clara entered the convent. With the help of the Ibarra's riches and Kapiyan Tiago, Basilio was able to go to Colegio de San Juan de Letrán where, at first, he is frowned upon by his peers and teachers because of his skin color and his shabby appearance but is able to win their favor after winning a fencing tournament. Kapitan Tiago’s confessor, Father Irene is making Kapitan Tiago’s health worse by giving him opium even as Basilio tries hard to prevent Kapitan Tiago from smoking it. He and other students want to establish a Spanish language academy so that they can learn to speak and write Spanish despite the opposition from the Dominican friars of the Universidad de Santo Tomás. With the help of a reluctant Father Irene as their mediator and Don Custodio’s (Gary Lising) decision, the academy is established but this turns bad as they will serve, not as the teachers but as caretakers of the school. Dejected and defeated, they hold a mock celebration at a pancitería while a spy for the friars disguised as a poor man witnesses the proceedings. Basilio, however, was not with them during the event.

Main Cast

 * JM de Guzman as Crisostomo Ibarra / Simoun -  in disguise, left for dead at the end of Noli me tangere. Ibarra has resurfaced as the wealthy jeweler, Simoun, sporting a beard, blue-tinted glasses, and a revolver. Fueled by his mistreatment at the hands of the Spaniards and his fury at Maria Clara's fate, Simoun secretly plans a revolution to seek revenge against those who wronged him.
 * Charee Pineda as Juliana de Dios / Juli -  the girlfriend of Basilio, and the youngest daughter of Kabesang Tales. To claim her father from the bandits, she had to work as a maid under the supervision of Hermana Penchang. Eventually, she was freed but committed suicide after Father Camorra attempted to rape her.
 * Kazel Kinouchi as Maria Clara

Supporting Cast

 * Victor Anastacio as Cabeza Telesforo Juan de Dios / Kabesang Tales - a former cabeza de barangay (barangay head) of Sagpang, a barangay in San Diego's neighboring town Tiani, who resurfaced as the feared Luzón bandit Matanglawin. He is the son of Tandang Selo, and father of Juli and Tano.
 * Albie Casiño as Isagani - Basilio's friend and one of the students who planned to set up a new school. He is very idealistic and hopes for a better future for the Philippines. His girlfriend was the rich and beautiful Paulita Gomez, but they broke up once he was arrested. Despite this, his love for her still endured. He sabotaged Simoun's plans by removing the lamp that contained explosives and threw it in the waters.
 * Chienna Filomeno as Paulita Gómez - The girlfriend of Isagani and the niece of Doña Victorina, the old Indio who passes herself off as a Peninsular, who is the wife of the quack doctor Tiburcio de Espadaña. In the end, she and Juanito Peláez are wed, and she dumps Isagani, believing that she will have no future if she marries him.
 * Franco Daza as Macaraig - One of Isagani's classmates at the University of Santo Tomas. He is a rich student and serves as the leader of the students yearning to build the Academia de Castellano.
 * TJ Trinidad as Basilio - Son of Sisa and another character from Noli Me Tangere. After his mother's death, he became a vagabond until Captain Tiago took him in out of pity and hired him as a houseboy in exchange for sending him to school. In the events of the book, he is a graduating medical student who discovered Simoun's true identity and befriended him. His girlfriend is Juli.
 * Chin Chin Gutierrez as Victorina delos Reyes de Espadaña / Doña Victorina - known in Noli Me Tangere as Tiburcio de Espadaña's cruel wife. She is the aunt of Paulita Gomez, and favors Juanito Pelaez over Isagani. She is searching for her husband, who has left her and is in hiding. Although of Indio heritage, she considers herself as one of the Peninsular.
 * Rey "PJ" Abellana as Padre Camorra - The lustful parish priest of Tiani, San Diego's adjacent town who has longtime desires for young women. He nearly raped Juli causing the latter to commit suicide.
 * Kier Legaspi as Padre Florentino - Isagani's godfather, and a secular priest; was engaged to be married, but chose to be a priest after being pressured by his mother, the story hinting at the ambivalence of his decision as he chooses an assignment to a remote place, living in solitude near the sea. He took in Don Tiburcio de Espandaña when he was hiding from his wife, Donya Victorina.
 * Mon Castro as Vicente Patriega
 * Erin Ocampo as Hermana Penchang - Sagpang's rich pusakal (gambler). She offers Juli to be her maid so the latter can obtain money to free Kabesang Tales. Disbelieving of Juli and her close friends, she considers herself as an ally of the friars.
 * Luis Alandy as Quiroga - A Chinese businessman who dreamed of being a consul for his country in the Philippines. He hid Simoun's weapons inside his house.
 * Jon Lucas as Juanito Pelaez - A favorite student of the professors. They belong to the noble Spanish ancestry. After failing in his grades, he became Paulita's new boyfriend and they eventually wed.
 * Polo Ravales as Kapitan Heneral - The highest-ranking official in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period, this unnamed character pretends that what he is doing is for the good of the Indios, the local citizens of the country, but in reality, he prioritizes the needs of his fellow Spaniards living in the country.
 * Red Sternberg as Don Tiburcio / Tiburcio de Espadaña - Victorina de Espadaña's lame husband. He is currently in hiding at Father Florentino's.
 * Sylvia Sanchez as Hermana Báli - Another gambler in Tiani. She became Juli's mother-figure and counselor; helped to release Kabesang Tales from the hands of bandits.
 * Lito Legaspi as Don Timoteo Pelaez - Juanito's father. He is a rich businessmen and arranges a wedding for his son and Paulita. He and Simoun became business partners.
 * Jordan Herrera as Tadeo - Macaraig's classmate. He, along with the other three members of their gang, supposedly posted the posters that "thanked" Don Custodio and Father Irene for the opening of the Academia de Castellano.
 * DJ Durano as Santiago delos Santos / Kapitan Tiago - Maria Clara's stepfather and the foster-father to Basilio. His health disintegrates gradually because of his frequent smoking of opium, which Father Irene unscrupulously encourages despite Basilio's attempts to wean his guardian off the addiction . Eventually, he died because Father Irene scared him about the revolt of the Filipinos.
 * Gary Lising as Custodio de Salazar y Sánchez de Monteredondo / Don Custodio -  a famous "journalist" who was asked by the students about his decision for the Academia de Castellano. In reality, he is quite an ordinary fellow who married a rich woman in order to be a member of Manila's high society.
 * Juan Rodrigo as Padre Írene - Kapitan Tiago's spiritual adviser. Although reluctant, he helped the students to establish the Academia de Castellano after being convinced by giving him a chestnut. The only witness to Kapitan Tiago's death, he forged the last will and testament of the latter so Basilio will obtain nothing from the inheritance.

Extended Cast

 * Bernard Palanca as Ben-Zayb - The pseudonym of Abraham Ibañez, a journalist who believes he is the "only" one thinking in the Philippines. Ben-Zayb is an anagram of Ybanez, an alternate spelling of his name.
 * Alfred Labatos as Placido Penitente - A student of the University of Santo Tomas who was very intelligent and wise but did not want, if not only by his mother's plea, to pursue his studies. He also controls his temper against Padre Millon, his physics teacher. During his High School days, he was an honor student hailing from Batangas.
 * Jong Cuenco as Tandang Selo - Father of Kabesang Tales and grandfather of Tano and Juli. He raised the sick and young Basilio after he left their house in Noli me tangere. He died in an encounter on the mountains with his son Tales, when he was killed by a battalion that included his own grandson, Tano.
 * Jim Pebangco as Padre Fernández - The priest-friend of Isagani. He promised to Isagani that he and the other priests will give in to the students' demands.
 * Johnny Revilla as Sandoval - The vice-leader of Macaraig's gang. A Spanish classmate of Isagani, he coerces his classmates to lead alongside him the opening of the Spanish language academy.
 * Joseph Bitangcol as Father Millon - The Physics teacher of the University of Santo Tomas. He always becomes vindictive with Placido and always taunts him during class.