The February 15 episode of FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano caught the attention of its viewers for mirroring the season for debates of the ongoing national election.
The episode showing the face-off between presidential aspirants Renato Hipolito (John Arcilla) and Lily Hidalgo (Lorna Tolentino) aired at the same time as the televised forum for presidential hopefuls organized by SMNI, a media outlet owned by Apollo Quiboloy who has endorsed the tandem of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte.
FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano story so far: Renato and Lily are also rival leaders of crime syndicates.
They've come this far after successfully ousting Oscar Hidalgo (Rowell Santiago), the noble current president, and replacing him with an impostor, Mariano.
As presidential aspirants, they both vow to capture their common enemy, the formidable fugitive Ricardo Dalisay.
Cardo’s group, the Task Force Agila, watched the debate with such vehemence against the blatantly lying antagonists.
Diana (Angel Aquino) remarked, “Magaling talaga magsalita ang mga ito kaya rin napapaniwala nila ang mga Pilipino na totoo ang mga sinasabi nila at totoo ang mga intensiyon nila.”
Jerome (John Prats) added, “Alam niyo ang nakakalungkot lang, tayo kilala natin sila pero ang taumbayan nabubulag nila dahil bakit? Sila ang nakaupo, e. Tayo nga ang linis ng intensiyon natin pero sa mata ng tao, kasi ano? Tuso sila.”
Diana replied, “Sila ang mga nakaposisyon kaya namamanipula nila ang mga tao, namamanipula nila ang katotohanan.”
Cardo reacted, “Ang masakit lang, napapaniwala nila ang mga Pilipino sa mga pangakong ginagawa nila. Kailan ba tayo magigising at matututo?
“Kung itong mga ito ang uupo, lalong mas walang pag-asa ang Pilipinas.”
Lolo Delfin (Jaime Fabregas) warned two of the people in their group who said they would not vote.
He said, “Iyan ang ugali na magpapabagsak sa bansa natin. Hindi lang mga corrupt na pulitiko, pero mga taong katulad niyo na walang pakialam sa bansa!”
Diana added, “Dapat inaalam niyo pa rin ang sitwasyon ng pulitika sa bansa natin dahil iyan ang kinabukasan ng lahat.”
Netizens were impressed by the timeliness of Ang Probinsyano's latest episodes.
In the current events of the Philippines, various media outlets have been organizing interviews and debates where the presidential aspirants have the opportunity to air their campaign platforms.
In the SMNI debate, only Marcos Jr. and labor leader Leody de Guzman, as well as presidential candidates Ernesto Abella and Norberto Gonzales, showed up.
Senator Panfilo Lacson, Manila Mayor Francisco Moreno Domagoso, a.k.a. Isko Moreno, Senator Manny Pacquiao, and Vice President Leni Gerona Robredo declined the SMNI debate owing to schedule conflicts and personal reasons.
The other previously held interviews and forums were GMA-7’s The Jessica Soho Interviews, The Boy Abunda Presidential Interviews, Korina Sanchez’s own presidential interview, and the KBP Forum.
In Jessica Soho’s interview, only Lacson, Domagoso, Pacquiao, and Robredo accepted the invitation. Marcos Jr. declined the invitation, saying that Jessica’s interviews are "biased against Marcoses", which GMA-7 had denied in a statement.
De Guzman and other candidates were not invited, with GMA-7 saying that only the top five presidential aspirants in surveys were included in the line-up.
Marcos Jr. also declined the KPB Forum, citing conflict in schedule as reason, while De Guzman was also excluded in Boy’s presidential interview.
Here are some of netizens’ comments about the “Bangayan” episode: