Maidnappers
Encyclopedia
Maidnappers 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. It is one of the two longest Pugad Baboy story arcs, the other being Aso
. In 1994, the story arc was reprinted in PB5, the fifth book compilation of the comic strip series. Maidnapper is a portmanteau of the words "maid
" and "kidnapper
".
to meet up with Gwen, Tiny's cousin from the United States
. Gwen is accompanied by Gloria, her Cebu
ana nanny, who takes an instant liking to Bab, much to his discomfiture and makes a few attempts to get a kiss from him, which he answers with a kick to the chin. Later that evening, Bab serenades Gwen with help from Joboy and Polgas. Tiny and Gloria tell Gwen that she's supposed to pour a bucket of water on the singers; unfamiliar with Filipino
customs, Gwen complies.
In the succeeding days of her stay, Gwen is immersed in Filipino culture; she is exposed to pothole
d streets, frequently changed street names, exotic native dishes, including Dagul's "Soup Number Five
", Filipino movies (which she calls "typically third world
"), discusses the merits of communism
with Noli, and marvels at the capacity of Filipinos to eat each and every part of the chicken
. After being jokingly told by Tiny that the local siopao
she had consumed had cat
meat in it, she vows to eat nothing but chicken for the rest of her stay.
somewhere along Timog Avenue, with the intention of viewing a Chippendales
-style show. Upon entering the bar, the duo ran into Debbie and Barbie, who had mistakenly entered the gay bar, thinking it was a restaurant. After exchanging threats of exposure, but later agreeing to keep the incident to themselves, each pair made to leave. Brosia and Glo, however, elected to remain and have a little fun. After availing of the bar's services, Glo paid the bill using Gwen's Gold card
. The waiter who had been serving them, Chipper, mistakenly tags them as prospective prey for his kidnap-for-ransom gang upon seeing Gwen's name on the card. Two of the gang's members, Demet and Tangwel, waited for the pair outside the bar. They were taken at gun-point to the goon's safehouse. The kidnappers later call the Sungcal household, demanding a million pesos
for the safe return of "Gwendolynne Dobson". After seeing Gwen safe and sound, the Sungcals determine that it is the maids who had been kidnapped.
in his master's garden and uses the cleverly-disguised well to gain access to the Dog Cave, where he changes to his Dobermaxx persona. Using the Dog Cave's computer, he traces the location of the last transaction on Gwen's credit card. He pretends to be an erotic dancer
in need of a job and penetrates the gay bar's inner circle. He soon sets his sights on Chipper. Meanwhile, the Sungcals have managed to raise the ransom money with help from an anonymous
donor who left Php 688,000.00 in their mailbox, the exact amount they needed. Gwen also objects to the ransom payments, as she could not fathom why the family would want to risk money for two househelps.
Dobermaxx soon detains Chipper and manages to sweat the necessary information from him. He learns that the gang's safehouse was somewhere in the bowels of Fort Santiago
. As he tunneled through the old fort, Dobermaxx accidentally discovers the treasure Charles McDougal and his team had been looking for in the 1980s; Dobermaxx marks the spot with an electronic tracer. He soon locates the gang's safehouse and comes upon Tangwel, all by his lonesome; Brosia and Glo were nowhere in sight. So was Demet. Using his wrist-spitter, Dobermaxx binds Tangwel and suspends him from the ceiling. He puts Tangwel under interrogation and learns that Demet was on his way to collect the ransom money from Dagul. Unable to use the satellite phone
built into his garapata gun due to his location deep underground, Dobermaxx runs out of the goons' safehouse. Tiny is soon able to call him with news that the kidnappers were demanding another million.
operation run by the kidnappers. With the data in hand, Dobermaxx ejected from the speeding Thunderdog and deployed his delta-wing glider
. He soon spots Dagul's car in one of the "buy-and-sell" joints. Detaching himself from the glider, Dobermaxx deploys Gary, his flea-bot, to act as a spotter.
Gary enters the premises through the door's keyhole. It sees several goons, including Chipper, in the living area. In the basement
, Gary finds Demet, Brosia and Glo, together with two more kidnap victims. All this was transmitted back to Dobermaxx, who transmits the hide-out's location to Dagul. He then decides to attack the hide-out. Using his ballistic arnis
, bolas
and garapata gun, Dobermaxx manages to bring down several of the goons before Demet and another bad guy appears with Glo and Brosia as hostages. They force Dobermaxx to drop his weapon, before they open fire on him. At this point, Dagul and Bab arrives, disabling Demet and the second goon. Chipper, however, has the upper hand as he covers Dagul and Bab with a firearm. With perfect timing, Tomas and Noli arrives to subdue Chipper. Tangwel, however, managed to grab Noli's revolver, but was in turn subdued by the policeman Gwen had summoned. The kidnappers then tried to fool the cop into taking their side (with the "logic" that police officers were as equally guilty as criminals, as per the public's view of Filipino police officers), but the cop would have none of it in the end.
Dobermaxx soon turns up with the cop's partner, whom he had convinced to return from the domestic airport
with the ransom money. Dobermaxx's Amstac mesh vest (and his fat) had saved his life. Everyone waits for the anti-crime czar, "Kraymbuster" (a spoof of then Philippine Vice-President Joseph Estrada
, who headed the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission), to make an appearance before the gang was booked, for the purpose of a media publicity stunt
.
It is later revealed that the anonymous donor of the Php 688,000.00 left in the Sungcal's mailbox was no other than Gwen.
Meanwhile, Dobermaxx delivers 64,000 pieces of 900-troy ounce
gold bullion
as full payment for the Philippines foreign debt
to Mother Teresa
, who acted as his go-between, since he did not wish for his identity to be known. It may be concluded that Dobermaxx had retrieved the treasure he found in Fort Santiago, and had used it to pay off the country's external debt of USD 29.189 billion (in 1992 figures). He also does the payment anonymously to effectively bypass government law of giving 10% of the find to the National Treasury
and keep the treasure off the hands of corrupt officials (such as Senator Cabalfin, who unwittingly said that the bullion should go to his pocket before correcting himself). Shortly after, Mother Teresa arrives in the Philippines to start a fund for calamity victims in the country using the staggering but still enormous amount from the gold. While Dagul and Polgas watch the news reports of these matters, despite the obviousness of the featured silhouette, Dagul asks Polgas his opinion on who the mystery benefactor was, to which the dog convincingly feigns indifference to such matters, effectively keeping his actions with the gold secret.
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
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
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 88 strips. It is one of the two longest Pugad Baboy story arcs, the other being 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...
. In 1994, the story arc was reprinted in PB5, the fifth book compilation of the comic strip series. Maidnapper is a portmanteau of the words "maid
Maid
A maidservant or in current usage housemaid or maid is a female employed in domestic service.-Description:Once part of an elaborate hierarchy in great houses, today a single maid may be the only domestic worker that upper and even middle-income households can afford, as was historically the case...
" and "kidnapper
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
".
Synopsis
Tiny, Bab and Polgas arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International AirportNinoy Aquino International Airport
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport or NAIA , also known as Manila International Airport , is the airport serving the general area of Manila and its surrounding metropolitan area...
to meet up with Gwen, Tiny's cousin from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Gwen is accompanied by Gloria, her Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
ana nanny, who takes an instant liking to Bab, much to his discomfiture and makes a few attempts to get a kiss from him, which he answers with a kick to the chin. Later that evening, Bab serenades Gwen with help from Joboy and Polgas. Tiny and Gloria tell Gwen that she's supposed to pour a bucket of water on the singers; unfamiliar with Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
customs, Gwen complies.
In the succeeding days of her stay, Gwen is immersed in Filipino culture; she is exposed to pothole
Pothole
A pothole is a type of disruption in the surface of a roadway where a portion of the road material has broken away, leaving a hole.- Formation :...
d streets, frequently changed street names, exotic native dishes, including Dagul's "Soup Number Five
Soup Number Five
Soup Number Five, variously spelled Soup No. 5 or Soup #5, is a soup made from bull's testes or penis. The dish originates from Filipino cuisine. It is believed to have aphrodisiac properties....
", Filipino movies (which she calls "typically third world
Third World
The term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either capitalism and NATO , or communism and the Soviet Union...
"), discusses the merits of communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
with Noli, and marvels at the capacity of Filipinos to eat each and every part of the chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
. After being jokingly told by Tiny that the local siopao
Siopao
Siopao is a Hokkien term for bāozi , literally meaning "steamed buns". It has also been incorporated in to Thai cuisine where it is called salapao ....
she had consumed had cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
meat in it, she vows to eat nothing but chicken for the rest of her stay.
Maid's day out
Temporarily freed from their duties, Brosia and Glo decide to go off and look for a gay barGay bar
A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender clientele; the term gay is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBT and queer communities...
somewhere along Timog Avenue, with the intention of viewing a Chippendales
Chippendales dancers
Chippendales is a touring dance troupe best known for its male erotic dancing performances and for its dancers' distinctive upper body costume of a bow tie and shirt cuffs worn on an otherwise bare torso....
-style show. Upon entering the bar, the duo ran into Debbie and Barbie, who had mistakenly entered the gay bar, thinking it was a restaurant. After exchanging threats of exposure, but later agreeing to keep the incident to themselves, each pair made to leave. Brosia and Glo, however, elected to remain and have a little fun. After availing of the bar's services, Glo paid the bill using Gwen's Gold card
Credit card
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
. The waiter who had been serving them, Chipper, mistakenly tags them as prospective prey for his kidnap-for-ransom gang upon seeing Gwen's name on the card. Two of the gang's members, Demet and Tangwel, waited for the pair outside the bar. They were taken at gun-point to the goon's safehouse. The kidnappers later call the Sungcal household, demanding a million pesos
Philippine peso
The peso is the currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 centavos . Before 1967, the language used on the banknotes and coins was English and so "peso" was the name used...
for the safe return of "Gwendolynne Dobson". After seeing Gwen safe and sound, the Sungcals determine that it is the maids who had been kidnapped.
Dobermaxx takes the case
As the Sungcal household, including Bab, attempt to accumulate the ransom by selling expensive personal belongings, Polgas secretly goes to the wishing wellWishing well
A wishing well is a term from European folklore to describe wells where it was thought that any spoken wish would be granted. The idea that a wish would be granted came from the idea that water housed deities or had been placed there as a gift from the gods, since water was a source of life and...
in his master's garden and uses the cleverly-disguised well to gain access to the Dog Cave, where he changes to his Dobermaxx persona. Using the Dog Cave's computer, he traces the location of the last transaction on Gwen's credit card. He pretends to be an erotic dancer
Erotic dancing
Erotic dance is a major category or classification of dance forms or dance styles, where the purpose is the stimulation or arousal of erotic or sexual thoughts or actions....
in need of a job and penetrates the gay bar's inner circle. He soon sets his sights on Chipper. Meanwhile, the Sungcals have managed to raise the ransom money with help from an anonymous
Anonymity
Anonymity is derived from the Greek word ἀνωνυμία, anonymia, meaning "without a name" or "namelessness". In colloquial use, anonymity typically refers to the state of an individual's personal identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown.There are many reasons why a...
donor who left Php 688,000.00 in their mailbox, the exact amount they needed. Gwen also objects to the ransom payments, as she could not fathom why the family would want to risk money for two househelps.
Dobermaxx soon detains Chipper and manages to sweat the necessary information from him. He learns that the gang's safehouse was somewhere in the bowels of Fort Santiago
Fort Santiago
Fort Santiago is a defense fortress built for Spanish conquistador, Miguel López de Legazpi. The fort is part of the structures of the walled city of Intramuros, in Manila, Philippines. José Rizal, the Philippines' national hero, was imprisoned in the fort before his execution in 1896...
. As he tunneled through the old fort, Dobermaxx accidentally discovers the treasure Charles McDougal and his team had been looking for in the 1980s; Dobermaxx marks the spot with an electronic tracer. He soon locates the gang's safehouse and comes upon Tangwel, all by his lonesome; Brosia and Glo were nowhere in sight. So was Demet. Using his wrist-spitter, Dobermaxx binds Tangwel and suspends him from the ceiling. He puts Tangwel under interrogation and learns that Demet was on his way to collect the ransom money from Dagul. Unable to use the satellite phone
Satellite phone
A satellite telephone, satellite phone, or satphone is a type of mobile phone that connects to orbiting satellites instead of terrestrial cell sites...
built into his garapata gun due to his location deep underground, Dobermaxx runs out of the goons' safehouse. Tiny is soon able to call him with news that the kidnappers were demanding another million.
Dobermaxx to the rescue
Dobermaxx soon puts two and two together upon seeing Bab's guitar in Tangwel's possession, as well as Dagul's wristwatch. He concludes that the kidnappers had also bought all the personal possessions the Sungcals had sold in their desperation to raise the ransom money. Dobermaxx takes Tangwel to the Sungcal residence and uses the Thunderdog's on-board computer to determine the location of "buy-and-sell" joints in the immediate vicinity, which he suspected was a front for a fencingFence (criminal)
A fence is an individual who knowingly buys stolen property for later resale, sometimes in a legitimate market. The fence thus acts as a middleman between thieves and the eventual buyers of stolen goods who may or may not be aware that the goods are stolen. As a verb, the word describes the...
operation run by the kidnappers. With the data in hand, Dobermaxx ejected from the speeding Thunderdog and deployed his delta-wing glider
Hang gliding
Hang gliding is an air sport in which a pilot flies a light and unmotorized foot-launchable aircraft called a hang glider ....
. He soon spots Dagul's car in one of the "buy-and-sell" joints. Detaching himself from the glider, Dobermaxx deploys Gary, his flea-bot, to act as a spotter.
Gary enters the premises through the door's keyhole. It sees several goons, including Chipper, in the living area. In the basement
Basement
__FORCETOC__A basement is one or more floors of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. Basements are typically used as a utility space for a building where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, car park, and air-conditioning system...
, Gary finds Demet, Brosia and Glo, together with two more kidnap victims. All this was transmitted back to Dobermaxx, who transmits the hide-out's location to Dagul. He then decides to attack the hide-out. Using his ballistic arnis
Arnis
Arnis may refer to:*A Filipino martial art, see Eskrima**a modern version of the traditional martial art, see Modern Arnis*Arnis, Germany, a small town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany...
, bolas
Bolas
Bolas are a throwing weapon superficially similar to the surujin, made of weights on the ends of interconnected cords, designed to capture animals by entangling their legs...
and garapata gun, Dobermaxx manages to bring down several of the goons before Demet and another bad guy appears with Glo and Brosia as hostages. They force Dobermaxx to drop his weapon, before they open fire on him. At this point, Dagul and Bab arrives, disabling Demet and the second goon. Chipper, however, has the upper hand as he covers Dagul and Bab with a firearm. With perfect timing, Tomas and Noli arrives to subdue Chipper. Tangwel, however, managed to grab Noli's revolver, but was in turn subdued by the policeman Gwen had summoned. The kidnappers then tried to fool the cop into taking their side (with the "logic" that police officers were as equally guilty as criminals, as per the public's view of Filipino police officers), but the cop would have none of it in the end.
Dobermaxx soon turns up with the cop's partner, whom he had convinced to return from the domestic airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
with the ransom money. Dobermaxx's Amstac mesh vest (and his fat) had saved his life. Everyone waits for the anti-crime czar, "Kraymbuster" (a spoof of then Philippine Vice-President Joseph Estrada
Joseph Estrada
Joseph "Erap" Ejercito Estrada was the 13th President of the Philippines, serving from 1998 until 2001. Estrada was the first person in the Post-EDSA era to be elected both to the presidency and vice-presidency.Estrada gained popularity as a film actor, playing the lead role in over 100 films in...
, who headed the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission), to make an appearance before the gang was booked, for the purpose of a media publicity stunt
Publicity stunt
A publicity stunt is a planned event designed to attract the public's attention to the event's organizers or their cause. Publicity stunts can be professionally organized or set up by amateurs...
.
It is later revealed that the anonymous donor of the Php 688,000.00 left in the Sungcal's mailbox was no other than Gwen.
Epilogue
At a party held some time after the incident, Gwen and Gloria reconcile with each other (Gwen, for not valuing her nanny enough to save her life, and Gloria, for messing with her ward's things without permission, which was the cause of the entire fiasco in the first place.). Gwen understands the Filipino family value that even maids are considered part of the household and that children always take care of their parents in their old age ("That's why you rarely see our parents in nursing homes," Tiny quips). When it is time for the two to leave and goodbyes are to be said, Gwen finally proclaims to be proud of her Filipino heritage to Tiny and unexpectedly gives Bab a goodbye kiss on the lips, which he enjoys. When Gloria appears to want a goodbye kiss from Bab, he gives her a chance since she's leaving anyway. However, Glo suddenly kicks him upwards, thus getting revenge.Meanwhile, Dobermaxx delivers 64,000 pieces of 900-troy ounce
Troy weight
Troy weight is a system of units of mass customarily used for precious metals, gemstones, and black powder.There are 12 troy ounces per troy pound, rather than the 16 ounces per pound found in the more common avoirdupois system. The troy ounce is 480 grains, compared with the avoirdupois ounce,...
gold bullion
Gold as an investment
Of all the precious metals, gold is the most popular as an investment. Investors generally buy gold as a hedge or harbor against economic, political, or social fiat currency crises...
as full payment for the Philippines foreign debt
External debt
External debt is that part of the total debt in a country that is owed to creditors outside the country. The debtors can be the government, corporations or private households. The debt includes money owed to private commercial banks, other governments, or international financial institutions such...
to Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
, who acted as his go-between, since he did not wish for his identity to be known. It may be concluded that Dobermaxx had retrieved the treasure he found in Fort Santiago, and had used it to pay off the country's external debt of USD 29.189 billion (in 1992 figures). He also does the payment anonymously to effectively bypass government law of giving 10% of the find to the National Treasury
Treasury
A treasury is either*A government department related to finance and taxation.*A place where currency or precious items is/are kept....
and keep the treasure off the hands of corrupt officials (such as Senator Cabalfin, who unwittingly said that the bullion should go to his pocket before correcting himself). Shortly after, Mother Teresa arrives in the Philippines to start a fund for calamity victims in the country using the staggering but still enormous amount from the gold. While Dagul and Polgas watch the news reports of these matters, despite the obviousness of the featured silhouette, Dagul asks Polgas his opinion on who the mystery benefactor was, to which the dog convincingly feigns indifference to such matters, effectively keeping his actions with the gold secret.
Trivia
- Included in Bab, Joboy, and Polgas' repertoire during their serenadeSerenadeIn music, a serenade is a musical composition, and/or performance, in someone's honor. Serenades are typically calm, light music.The word Serenade is derived from the Italian word sereno, which means calm....
of Gwen are My PrayerMy Prayer"My Prayer" is a 1939 popular song with music by the famous salon violinist Georges Boulanger and lyrics by Jimmy Kennedy. It was originally written by Boulanger with the title "Avant de Mourir" in 1926. The lyrics for this version were added by Kennedy in 1939. Glenn Miller recorded the song that...
by The PlattersThe PlattersThe Platters were a vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the burgeoning new genre...
, Wonderful TonightWonderful Tonight"Wonderful Tonight" is a song written by Eric Clapton. It was included on Clapton's 1977 album Slowhand and released as a single the following year. Clapton wrote the song about Pattie Boyd, and it is mentioned in her autobiographical book Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me...
by Eric ClaptonEric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, ThrillerThriller (song)"Thriller" is a song recorded by American recording artist Michael Jackson, composed by Rod Temperton, and produced by Quincy Jones. It is the seventh and final single from his sixth studio album Thriller. It was released on January 23, 1984 by Epic Records...
by Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
and Aquarius/Let the Sunshine InAquarius/Let the Sunshine In"Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" is a medley of two songs written for the 1967 musical Hair by James Rado & Gerome Ragni , and Galt MacDermot , released as a single by The 5th Dimension. The song peaked at number one for six weeks on the U.S...
by The 5th Dimension. "Thriller" kicks in when Glo shows up at the window. - Dagul's and Debbie's wristwatches are a TAG HeuerTAG HeuerTAG Heuer is a Swiss luxury watchmaker known for its sports watches and chronographs. It is a division of luxury goods company LVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton. The company motto is "Swiss Avant-Garde Since 1860"...
and a Baume et MercierBaume et MercierBaume et Mercier is a Swiss luxury watchmaking company founded in 1830. It is owned by Richemont, and with Cartier and Piaget they make up the core of the group. This company is represented in 75 countries and produces around 200,000 watches a year. The most important markets are in Europe,...
, respectively. - Charles McDougal was a former member of the United States Army Special ForcesUnited States Army Special ForcesThe United States Army Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets because of their distinctive service headgear, are a special operations force tasked with six primary missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action, hostage rescue, and...
who did extensive excavation in Fort SantiagoFort SantiagoFort Santiago is a defense fortress built for Spanish conquistador, Miguel López de Legazpi. The fort is part of the structures of the walled city of Intramuros, in Manila, Philippines. José Rizal, the Philippines' national hero, was imprisoned in the fort before his execution in 1896...
and on CorregidorCorregidorCorregidor Island, locally called Isla ng Corregidor, is a lofty island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in southwestern part of Luzon Island in the Philippines. Due to this location, Corregidor was fortified with several coastal artillery and ammunition magazines to defend the entrance of...
in the 1980s, looking for the Yamashita treasure. - Pol Medina, Jr.Pol Medina, Jr.Apolonio "Pol" Medina, Jr. is a Filipino cartoonist best known for creating Pugad Baboy, a black-and-white comic strip first published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on May 18, 1988.-Biography:...
used this story arc to launch a contest wherein the participants were required to answer a question on an observation made regarding the 52nd strip of the series; the contestants mailed their answers to the author. Winners were given Polgas P-shirts as prizes. - Glo and Brosia's kidnappers thought that Gwen was the daughter of an American soldier stationed at the Subic Naval Base. The Americans were already on the closing stages of their withdrawal from the Philippines at the time the story arc was published.
- Polgas' stage nameStage nameA stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
as an erotic dancer is Gardog Verzosa, a play on the name of Filipino movie actor Gardo VersozaGardo VersozaGardo Versoza, born Mennen Torres Polintan on November 8, 1969, is a popular Filipino actor who has appeared in over forty movies and dozens of television shows. He started out in roles such as Sabik Sa Halik, Machete II, Halimuyak Ng Babae and Kirot. Later, he went on to star in action movies...
, who started his career in soft-core porn movies. - Rescued along with Brosia and Glo were brothers Maipainetapasia and Maisuklaipamandin Uy. The names of the two brothers are a reference to the Filipino folk song Paru-Parong Bukid (Butterflies in the Field). May payneta pa siya--uy! and May suklay pa man din--uy! are two verses of the song.
- Gwen's nickname is "Pookie", which makes the love-struck Bab blushBlushingBlushing refers to the involuntary reddening of a person's face due to embarrassment or emotional stress, though it has been known to come from being lovestruck, or from some kind of romantic stimulation. It is thought that blushing is the result of an overactive sympathetic nervous system...
, as the pronunciation of the word is a reference to the vulgar Filipino term puke (vaginaVaginaThe vagina is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. Female insects and other invertebrates also have a vagina, which is the terminal part of the...
). - Gwen's dousing of water on Bab, Joboy, and Polgas during their serenade is an informal Filipino custom of rejecting a suitor.