Bodyguard (Pugad Baboy)
Encyclopedia
Bodyguard is an adventure story arc
of the Philippine comic strip series Pugad Baboy
, created by Pol Medina Jr. This particular story arc lasts 53 strips long and was published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
from July 2008 to September 2008. In 2009, the story arc was reprinted in the 21st compilation of the comic strip series, named Pugad Baboy 21. The story arc features perennially henpecked husband Tomas Sabaybunot, who appears as the main character for the first time since 1995's Col. Manyakis
.
security detail. On his first day on the job, Tomas' superior introduces him to Cris, the son of a certain General
Caldera, as one of four close-in bodyguards. However, the feeling of being a general's son and having a number of bodyguards gets to the boy's head, as he fears of reprisal by another youth whom he hit on the head with his .45-caliber pistol. The arrogance gets on Tomas' nerves, as he warns the child not to make him his errand boy (after he's asked to buy him a cigarette
).
After going home, Tomas receives a call from the base, as Cris was kidnapped and two out of the three other guards were incapacitated. Tomas gets on the case and discovers that the third guard was not around at the time of the incident-Cris asked him to buy a cigarette. Further investigation leads Tomas to the father of Rene, the boy who was hit by Cris' pistol. The man said he already filed a case against Cris, but denies taking him. The two injured bodyguards say that Cris has been kidnapped four times, but his father always pays ransom. At the same time, the kidnapper was also wounded in the shoulder. However, when Tomas decides to talk to the general himself, the family lawyer discourages him because of the personal trauma.
Armed with the bodyguards' clues, Tomas visits a kali training school and asks Rene's father - who is a kali instructor - to demonstrate some moves that could match how the kidnapping took place. Tomas and Rene's father later question the bodyguards for their story. However, just as the two leave the hospital, a sniper
fires at Tomas, forcing the two of them to take cover. Someone from the kali school calls Rene's father and tells him that one of his colleagues was also hit as well. Tomas - who was wearing a flak vest underneath his uniform - determines that since the slugs that hit them are 9mm rounds, the sniper could have used a VSS Vintorez
or VSK-94
. Alarmed at the danger, he asks Barbie and Paltik to go into hiding in Pampanga
. However, Tomas' superior tells him that the general has put out a restraining order
on him, claiming that he kidnapped Cris.
Determined to seek the truth, Tomas and Rene's father suit up in full battle gear and infiltrate the Caldera house, with the family lawyer's "cooperation." The lawyer admits that he's in charge of manipulating the Calderas' financial records. They finally see the general himself, supposedly coma
tose and connected to a respirator
and a heart monitor, but when Rene's father quips that the family may have hired the team responsible for maintaining Apong Ferdie's
body, Tomas deduces that the general is already dead.
Rene's father and Tomas determine that while the general is dead, the family decided not to bury him so they could still receive pensions, allowing Cris to continue flaunting his wealth. However, the lawyer confirms that Cris was truly kidnapped this time around and Tomas has him arrange a meeting. The three escape the house after the security forces are alerted and head for an abandoned building in Binondo, where the meeting is scheduled to take place. Tomas sees snipers in the area and plans the assault with Rene's father. They start the attack but Rene's father senses that the defenders painted the windows and turned off the lights so they could use night-vision goggles. At this point, it is revealed that the man is actually Dado (see Aso
), who single-handedly takes down the opposing force as a werewolf
. Since the situation is a mess, Dado calls up Polgas to assist in policing the area.
Tomas, Dado, Polgas, and the lawyer meet the injured bodyguards. Tomas proposes that the scam be kept under wraps and declare Cris a fugitive in exchange for General Caldera being buried with full honors. However, when the bodyguards recognize one of Dado's kali knives as the one used in the kidnapping, Rene finally appears and admits that he kidnapped Cris as revenge for the pistol-whipping.
Rene explains that he escaped the hospital and tracked down Cris, whom he brought to Dado's veterinary clinic. He instructed the "patients" not to let him escape. When the group finds Cris at the clinic, the supposed abductee claims his father will come down hard on them, but shuts up after Dado asks him how he can summon
the general from the dead. Using reverse psychology
, Tomas gives Rene a chance to return Cris the favor. Dado finally says that since Cris drew first blood by hitting Rene, it was enough that he be punished by no longer abusing his father's wealth and status. Rene becomes friends with Cris and offers him a chance to train at the kali school. Polgas, Tomas, and Dado later settle for a drinking session with Igno, where they intend to use Dado's alter ego in scaring him.
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. This particular story arc lasts 53 strips long and was 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...
from July 2008 to September 2008. In 2009, the story arc was reprinted in the 21st compilation of the comic strip series, named Pugad Baboy 21. The story arc features perennially henpecked husband Tomas Sabaybunot, who appears as the main character for the first time since 1995's Col. Manyakis
Col. Manyakis
Col. Manyakis 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 35 strips long. In 1997, the story arc was reprinted in Pugad Baboy Eight, the eighth book...
.
Synopsis
Tomas has been assigned to a VIPVIP
VIP and V.I.P. is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:-In general:* Vacuum insulated panel* Values, Influence, and Peers, an anti-crime campaign in Ontario elementary schools* Variable Information Printing, a form of on-demand printing...
security detail. On his first day on the job, Tomas' superior introduces him to Cris, the son of a certain General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Caldera, as one of four close-in bodyguards. However, the feeling of being a general's son and having a number of bodyguards gets to the boy's head, as he fears of reprisal by another youth whom he hit on the head with his .45-caliber pistol. The arrogance gets on Tomas' nerves, as he warns the child not to make him his errand boy (after he's asked to buy him a cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
).
After going home, Tomas receives a call from the base, as Cris was kidnapped and two out of the three other guards were incapacitated. Tomas gets on the case and discovers that the third guard was not around at the time of the incident-Cris asked him to buy a cigarette. Further investigation leads Tomas to the father of Rene, the boy who was hit by Cris' pistol. The man said he already filed a case against Cris, but denies taking him. The two injured bodyguards say that Cris has been kidnapped four times, but his father always pays ransom. At the same time, the kidnapper was also wounded in the shoulder. However, when Tomas decides to talk to the general himself, the family lawyer discourages him because of the personal trauma.
Armed with the bodyguards' clues, Tomas visits a kali training school and asks Rene's father - who is a kali instructor - to demonstrate some moves that could match how the kidnapping took place. Tomas and Rene's father later question the bodyguards for their story. However, just as the two leave the hospital, a sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
fires at Tomas, forcing the two of them to take cover. Someone from the kali school calls Rene's father and tells him that one of his colleagues was also hit as well. Tomas - who was wearing a flak vest underneath his uniform - determines that since the slugs that hit them are 9mm rounds, the sniper could have used a VSS Vintorez
VSS Vintorez
The VSS , also called the Vintorez , is a silent sniper rifle developed in the late 1980s by TsNIITochMash and manufactured by the Tula Arsenal...
or VSK-94
VSK-94
The VSK-94 is a 9 mm silenced sniper rifle developed by the Russia KBP Instrument Design Bureau as a low-cost alternative to the VSS rifle. The rifle is based on the 9A-91 assault rifle. The VSK-94 was designed to accurately engage unarmored point targets at ranges up to 400 m.The VSK-94 retains...
. Alarmed at the danger, he asks Barbie and Paltik to go into hiding in Pampanga
Pampanga
Pampanga is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the City of San Fernando, Pampanga. Pampanga is bordered by the provinces of Bataan and Zambales to the west, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija to the north, and Bulacan to the southeast...
. However, Tomas' superior tells him that the general has put out a restraining order
Restraining order
A restraining order or order of protection is a form of legal injunction that requires a party to do, or to refrain from doing, certain acts. A party that refuses to comply with an order faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...
on him, claiming that he kidnapped Cris.
Determined to seek the truth, Tomas and Rene's father suit up in full battle gear and infiltrate the Caldera house, with the family lawyer's "cooperation." The lawyer admits that he's in charge of manipulating the Calderas' financial records. They finally see the general himself, supposedly coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
tose and connected to a respirator
Respirator
A respirator is a device designed to protect the wearer from inhaling harmful dusts, fumes, vapors, or gases. Respirators come in a wide range of types and sizes used by the military, private industry, and the public...
and a heart monitor, but when Rene's father quips that the family may have hired the team responsible for maintaining Apong Ferdie's
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
body, Tomas deduces that the general is already dead.
Rene's father and Tomas determine that while the general is dead, the family decided not to bury him so they could still receive pensions, allowing Cris to continue flaunting his wealth. However, the lawyer confirms that Cris was truly kidnapped this time around and Tomas has him arrange a meeting. The three escape the house after the security forces are alerted and head for an abandoned building in Binondo, where the meeting is scheduled to take place. Tomas sees snipers in the area and plans the assault with Rene's father. They start the attack but Rene's father senses that the defenders painted the windows and turned off the lights so they could use night-vision goggles. At this point, it is revealed that the man is actually Dado (see Aso
Aso (Pugad Baboy story arc)
Aso 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 88 strips long. In 2003, the story arc was reprinted in Kinse!, the fifteenth book compilation of the...
), who single-handedly takes down the opposing force as a werewolf
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
. Since the situation is a mess, Dado calls up Polgas to assist in policing the area.
Tomas, Dado, Polgas, and the lawyer meet the injured bodyguards. Tomas proposes that the scam be kept under wraps and declare Cris a fugitive in exchange for General Caldera being buried with full honors. However, when the bodyguards recognize one of Dado's kali knives as the one used in the kidnapping, Rene finally appears and admits that he kidnapped Cris as revenge for the pistol-whipping.
Rene explains that he escaped the hospital and tracked down Cris, whom he brought to Dado's veterinary clinic. He instructed the "patients" not to let him escape. When the group finds Cris at the clinic, the supposed abductee claims his father will come down hard on them, but shuts up after Dado asks him how he can summon
Séance
A séance is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word "séance" comes from the French word for "seat," "session" or "sitting," from the Old French "seoir," "to sit." In French, the word's meaning is quite general: one may, for example, speak of "une séance de cinéma"...
the general from the dead. Using reverse psychology
Reverse psychology
Reverse psychology is a technique involving the advocacy of a belief or behavior that is opposite to the one desired, with the expectation that this approach will encourage the subject of the persuasion to do what actually is desired: the opposite of what is suggested...
, Tomas gives Rene a chance to return Cris the favor. Dado finally says that since Cris drew first blood by hitting Rene, it was enough that he be punished by no longer abusing his father's wealth and status. Rene becomes friends with Cris and offers him a chance to train at the kali school. Polgas, Tomas, and Dado later settle for a drinking session with Igno, where they intend to use Dado's alter ego in scaring him.
Continuity
- Dado, upon reuniting with Polgas, goes on to explain what has happened since the events of Aso. He managed to "convince" the magic mushroom farmers to cease their production and instead, produce coffee. As for his profession as a veterinarian, like the former story-arc-only character Father Marty before him, he has moved to Manila, possibly to Pugad Baboy, and opened a clinic there.
- It is also revealed that Dado managed to beget a son, despite his lycanthropy, though it is unclear if Rene was conceived before or after the events of Aso. How much of Dado's lycanthropy was passed on to Rene is unknown, though it is shown that he is also able to communicate with dogs.
Real-life references
- Dado's remark about General Caldera's body is a reference to the refrigerated remains of Ferdinand Marcos' body at the Marcos Museum in Ilocos NorteIlocos NorteIlocos Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos Region in Luzon. Its capital is Laoag City and is located at the northwest corner of Luzon Island, bordering Cagayan and Apayao to the east, and Abra and Ilocos Sur to the south...
. - Tomas cited the disappearances of Rolando Galman's wife, girlfriend, and girlfriend's sibling as his rationale for having Barbie and Paltik go into hiding.
- Tomas calls Cris an Anak ng Diyos (Son of God), a Filipino slangSlangSlang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
term for the children of highly-placed officials (in this case, generals) who turn out to be spoiled brats.