'El Filibusterismo': New IBC-13 offering on primetime beginning June 6

June 4, 2016

JM de Guzman

If Jose Rizal were alive today, this independence day (June 12) as IBC-13 presents the historical drama series entitled El Filibusterismo topbilled by JM  de Guzman, premiering June 6.

JM played as Simoun, 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 (played by 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 (played by 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 (played by 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.

Also starring Charee Pineda, Victor Anastacio, Albie Casiño, Chienna Filomeno, Franco Daza, Chin Chin Gutierrez, Rey "PJ" Abellana, Kier Legaspi, Mon Castro, Erin Ocampo, Luis Alandy, Jon Lucas, Polo Ravales, Red Sternberg, Sylvia Sanchez, Lito Legaspi, Jordan Herrera and Juan Rodrigo.

El Filibusterismo premieres this June 6 at 9:15 p.m. weeknights after My Princess on IBC-13's Kapinoy Primetime.