Alamang Boy
Encyclopedia
Alamang Boy is an adventure story arc
of the Philippine comic strip series Pugad Baboy
, created by Pol Medina Jr. and originally published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
. This particular story arc lasts 26 strips long. In 1996, the story arc was reprinted in Pugad Baboy 7, the seventh book compilation of the comic strip series.
he had brought home from a trip to Ilocos
. A security guard of Pugad Baboy soon brings Tomas two suspects in the goat-rustling
issue. These, however, claim that they confessed to the crime under torture (being forced to repetitively listen to the José Mari Chan
song Beautiful Girl). A second set of suspect were rounded up and dismissed after no real evidence could be brought to bear against them.
After a while, Ka Noli brings Tomas a young girl who claims to be an eye witness
to the crime. She fingers Senator Cabalfin's son, Bong (nicknamed in this story arc as "Hurricane Hughbert"), as the person who stole the goat. Further interrogation
by Tomas and Noli unearthed several more facts: the girl, identified as Juicyka A. was part of a gang of kids who liked to achieve a "light-headed" high by drinking coffee
and eating monosodium glutamate
-laced food. She later executes an affidavit
stating that she was part of the group that met at the Pugad Baboy commercial center parking lot to score some vetsin for their jam session. She also stated that aside from being addicted to coffee and Chinese food, the group stole green mango
es from the neighbors' trees and they ate these dipped in bagoong alamang (shrimp paste
). From this, the media labeled the group as the Alamang Boys (a play on the Ayala Alabang Village, an affluent residential community in Muntinlupa City
).
As the case went to court, Senator Cabalfin reacted strongly to these claims, saying that if his son were convicted of the crime, he would resign from the Senate
. Bong's defense states that he could not have committed the crime since during the night in question, he had attended the U2
concert at the Ultra
. Another witness claims to have seen Bong at a restaurant on Visayas Avenue where the specialty was goat meat and two of the Senator's former housemaids testified that they had seen Bong eating papaitan (goat stew
) on the night Tomas' goat was reported missing. They also claimed to have seen goat hair, horns and hooves strewn on the kitchen floor, but that these were later burned by the Senator's driver.
The presiding judge handed down the verdict: guilty. As sentence, the judge placed his hands over Bong's eyes, had everyone in the courtroom stand in single file, and ordered everyone to give the accused a single pinch.
Tomas was ecstatic; he felt that justice had prevailed. However, He and Noli soon discover that the goat wasn't missing at all. It must have just been taking a walk around and had returned to Tomas. In order to hide the evidence of a mistrial, Tomas turned the goat into pulutan (finger food) for one of his and Noli's drinking sessions.
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
of the Philippine comic strip series Pugad Baboy
Pugad Baboy
Pugad Baboy is a comic strip created by Filipino cartoonist Apolonio "Pol" Medina, Jr. The strip is about a Manila community of mostly obese people - "fat as pigs", so to speak ....
, created by Pol Medina Jr. and originally published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Philippine Daily Inquirer, popularly known as the Inquirer, is the most widely read broadsheet newspaper in the Philippines, with a daily circulation of 260,000 copies. It is one of the Philippines' newspapers of record...
. This particular story arc lasts 26 strips long. In 1996, the story arc was reprinted in Pugad Baboy 7, the seventh book compilation of the comic strip series.
Synopsis
Tomas has lost a goatGoat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
he had brought home from a trip to Ilocos
Ilocos
Ilocos collectively refers to two provinces in the Philippines: Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. Inhabitants are called Ilocanos and they speak the language Iloko, also called Ilocano.The Ilocos Region, containing four provinces, is named after Ilocos...
. A security guard of Pugad Baboy soon brings Tomas two suspects in the goat-rustling
Cattle raiding
Cattle raiding is the act of stealing cattle.In Australia, such stealing is often referred to as duffing, and the person as a duffer...
issue. These, however, claim that they confessed to the crime under torture (being forced to repetitively listen to the José Mari Chan
José Mari Chan
Jose Mari Chan is a Chinese Filipino singer, songwriter and businessman in the sugar industry. He was born in Iloilo City on March 11, 1945. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1967...
song Beautiful Girl). A second set of suspect were rounded up and dismissed after no real evidence could be brought to bear against them.
After a while, Ka Noli brings Tomas a young girl who claims to be an eye witness
Witness
A witness is someone who has firsthand knowledge about an event, or in the criminal justice systems usually a crime, through his or her senses and can help certify important considerations about the crime or event. A witness who has seen the event first hand is known as an eyewitness...
to the crime. She fingers Senator Cabalfin's son, Bong (nicknamed in this story arc as "Hurricane Hughbert"), as the person who stole the goat. Further interrogation
Interrogation
Interrogation is interviewing as commonly employed by officers of the police, military, and Intelligence agencies with the goal of extracting a confession or obtaining information. Subjects of interrogation are often the suspects, victims, or witnesses of a crime...
by Tomas and Noli unearthed several more facts: the girl, identified as Juicyka A. was part of a gang of kids who liked to achieve a "light-headed" high by drinking coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
and eating monosodium glutamate
Monosodium glutamate
Monosodium glutamate, also known as sodium glutamate or MSG, is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, one of the most abundant naturally occurring non-essential amino acids....
-laced food. She later executes an affidavit
Affidavit
An affidavit is a written sworn statement of fact voluntarily made by an affiant or deponent under an oath or affirmation administered by a person authorized to do so by law. Such statement is witnessed as to the authenticity of the affiant's signature by a taker of oaths, such as a notary public...
stating that she was part of the group that met at the Pugad Baboy commercial center parking lot to score some vetsin for their jam session. She also stated that aside from being addicted to coffee and Chinese food, the group stole green mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
es from the neighbors' trees and they ate these dipped in bagoong alamang (shrimp paste
Shrimp paste
Shrimp paste or shrimp sauce, is a common ingredient used in Southeast Asian and Southern Chinese cuisine. It is known as terasi in Indonesian, ngapi in Burmese, kapi in Thai, Khmer and Lao language, belacan in Malay, mắm ruốc, mắm tép and mắm tôm in...
). From this, the media labeled the group as the Alamang Boys (a play on the Ayala Alabang Village, an affluent residential community in Muntinlupa City
Muntinlupa City
The City of Muntinlupa is the southernmost city in Philippine National Capital Region. It is bordered on the north by Taguig City; to the northwest by Parañaque City; by Las Piñas City to the west; to the southwest by the city of Bacoor, Cavite; by the city of San Pedro, Laguna; and by Laguna de...
).
As the case went to court, Senator Cabalfin reacted strongly to these claims, saying that if his son were convicted of the crime, he would resign from the Senate
Senate of the Philippines
The Senate of the Philippines is the upper chamber of the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, the Congress of the Philippines...
. Bong's defense states that he could not have committed the crime since during the night in question, he had attended the U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
concert at the Ultra
PhilSports Complex
The Philippine Institute of Sports Complex is a national sports complex of the Philippines. It is located in Meralco Avenue in Pasig, Metro Manila, Philippines...
. Another witness claims to have seen Bong at a restaurant on Visayas Avenue where the specialty was goat meat and two of the Senator's former housemaids testified that they had seen Bong eating papaitan (goat stew
Stew
A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables , meat, especially tougher meats suitable for slow-cooking, such as beef. Poultry, sausages, and seafood are also used...
) on the night Tomas' goat was reported missing. They also claimed to have seen goat hair, horns and hooves strewn on the kitchen floor, but that these were later burned by the Senator's driver.
The presiding judge handed down the verdict: guilty. As sentence, the judge placed his hands over Bong's eyes, had everyone in the courtroom stand in single file, and ordered everyone to give the accused a single pinch.
Tomas was ecstatic; he felt that justice had prevailed. However, He and Noli soon discover that the goat wasn't missing at all. It must have just been taking a walk around and had returned to Tomas. In order to hide the evidence of a mistrial, Tomas turned the goat into pulutan (finger food) for one of his and Noli's drinking sessions.
Trivia
- This story arc has parallelisms with the Vizconde multiple murder case, also known as the Vizconde massacreVizconde massacreThe Vizconde Massacre was the multiple homicide of members of the Vizconde family on June 30, 1991 at their residence in BF Homes, Parañaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines. Estrellita, 47, had suffered thirteen stab wounds; Carmela, 18, had suffered seventeen stab wounds and had been raped before...
. - Juicyka A's character is patterned after Maria Jessica M. Alfaro, a prominent witness for the prosecution during the case's trial.
- "Hurricane Hughbert" is an oblique reference to Hubert WebbHubert WebbHubert Jeffrey Pagaspas Webb , is a former convict and one of the alleged suspects of the 1991 Vizconde massacre in the Philippines...
, one of the accused in the Vizconde case and the son of former Senator Freddie WebbFreddie WebbFreddie N. Webb is a retired Filipino basketball player and head coach, politician, radio personality, and actor. He also had been active in politics when he was elected as councilor of Pasay City, congressman for Parañaque, and senator...
. - Ramon TulfoRamon TulfoRamon "Mon" Tulfo is a TV host, radio broadcaster and columnist for the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Tulfo is one of the hosts of Isumbong Mo! , a public service program on RPN . He shares hosting chores with siblings Raffy, Ben and Erwin...
(known here as "T. Mulfo") and Rene SaguisagRene SaguisagRene A. V. Saguisag is a Filipino lawyer. He served as a Filipino Senator from 1987 until 1992.-Early life:...
(hired by the Cabalfins "pro bonoPro bonoPro bono publico is a Latin phrase generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment or at a reduced fee as a public service. It is common in the legal profession and is increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and strategy consulting firms...
"), who at one time or another had been associated with the Vizconde case, also make cameosCameo appearanceA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in this story arc. Also making a cameo is comedian Leo Martinez as his stand-up character, Tongressman Manhik Manaog, proposing to change the name of Visayas Avenue in Quezon City into "Ilocanos Avenue" (because of the numerous Ilocano restaurants there).