Here’s what Mercedes Cabral likes to tell her “FPJ’s Batang Quaipo” character Lena

Mary Ann Bardinas

<p>With how a complete manipulator and fibber she is, not to mention that she’s a certified homewrecker for being a mistress, it’s no wonder that ex-cop Lena Cortez, compellingly portrayed by award-winning actress Mercedes Cabral, is the most hated character in “<a href="https://ent.abs-cbn.com/batangquiapo"><em><strong><u>FPJ’s Batang Quiapo</u></strong></em></a>.”</p><p>Over the past year, there has never been an episode in which Lena didn’t get on the nerves of the viewers due to her totally horrible attitude. It all started when she took advantage of Rigor’s (John Estrada) vulnerability and seduced him, which resulted in a “friends-with-benefits” kind of relationship. It eventually turned into a real relationship as they professed their mutual romantic feelings for each other, which their colleague and friend, Mando (Allan Paule), and Rigor’s family discovered.</p><div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="647" referrerPolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t0nEtKS-8Pc" title="15 scenes of Lena that will make your blood boil in FPJ" s="" Batang="" Quiapo="" Kapamilya="" width="1134"></iframe>/p&gt;</div><p>While mistresses like her are embarrassed and scared to expose themselves in public, Lena is obviously on a different level, as she’s been acting as if she is the real wife, especially when she started living under one roof with the Dimaguibas after Rigor agreed to bring her to their house. And not a day passes by that Lena does not annoy the audiences because of how totally arrogant and wicked she is, except with David (McCoy de Leon), since they’re on the same wavelength. It’s also annoying how she is able to manipulate Rigor and get him into her hands through her lies and made-up stories as she aims to destroy his family by smearing mud at them.</p><div> </div><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-rzOTsyWzZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:16px"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:40px;margin-right:14px;width:40px"> </div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:100px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:60px"> </div></div></div><div style="padding:19% 0"> </div><div style="display:block;height:50px;margin:0 auto 12px;width:50px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-rzOTsyWzZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div><div style="padding-top:8px"><div style="color:#3897f0;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:550;line-height:18px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-rzOTsyWzZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div></div><div style="padding:12.5% 0"> </div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;margin-bottom:14px;align-items:center"><div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(0px) translateY(7px)"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;height:12.5px;transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px);width:12.5px;flex-grow:0;margin-right:14px;margin-left:2px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(9px) translateY(-18px)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:8px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:20px;width:20px"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:2px solid transparent;border-left:6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom:2px solid transparent;transform:translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:auto"><div style="width:0px;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(16px)"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;flex-grow:0;height:12px;width:16px;transform:translateY(-4px)"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"> </div></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"> </div></div><div style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-rzOTsyWzZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by CCM Productions (@cocomartin_ccmfilmproductions)</a></div></div></blockquote><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script><div> </div><p>Thus, it can be construed that Rigor indeed has feelings for Lena aside from simply fulfilling his responsibilities to her and their forthcoming baby. And this is what Mercedes firmly believes in, too, which she conveyed during her behind-the-scenes interview.</p><p>“<em>Naniniwala ako bilang</em> Lena <em>na may</em> feelings <em>din si</em> Rigor <em>kay</em> Lena. <em>Pero ngayon, base doon sa mga nakukuhanan na eksena</em>, <em>sa mga nababasa ko rin sa </em>script, <em>mas</em> more on <em>nate-</em>threaten <em>ngayon si</em> Lena <em>pagdating sa kung ano ba talaga siya para kay </em>Rigor. <em>Kasi alam naman niya na nandiyan si</em> Marites <em>na asawa eh</em> and, at the same time, <em>may</em> <em>anak si </em>Lena kay Rigor,” she related, which was actually noticeable in recent episodes wherein Rigor seems to lose his patience with her behavior and show his great concern towards his wife, Marites (Cherry Pie Picache), again.</p><div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="06b9cac5decc13edae3497a22831561a" data-ivs-spid="3001384" data-ivs-vid="3066227"></ivs-player> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Mercedes knows that her character has probably started to question her place in the life of Rigor, thinking that he might only be keeping her because of their child. At the same time, she also knows that Lena is the type who doesn’t easily give up, especially when it comes to the love of her life, and is willing to do everything for him to stay just to prove how much she loves him.</p><div><ivs-player data-ivs-key="06b9cac5decc13edae3497a22831561a" data-ivs-spid="3001384" data-ivs-vid="3065999"></ivs-player> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>However, just when we think that only the people in Rigor’s life and the viewers are the only ones irritated at Lena, Mercedes conveys that she actually feels likewise towards her.</p><p>Thus, she would want to tell her, “<em>Magising-gising na siya sa realidad</em>. <em>Sana ma</em>-realize <em>niya at makita niya ‘yong gulo na binibigay at ginagawa niya sa</em> household <em>ng</em> Dimaguiba <em>at sa buhay ni</em> Rigor. Girl, <em>hindi ka nakakatulong kay</em> Rigor. <em>Nakakagulo ka</em>,” she said when asked for her message to her character.</p><p>She continued, “<em>Sana</em> <em>huwag mong isipin lang ‘yong sarili mo. Sana maging</em> aware <em>ka</em> with your surroundings and <em>‘yong mga tao rin na naka</em>-surround <em>din</em> <em>kay</em> Rigor <em>sana maisip mo. At sana magising ka na at huwag ka nang manggulo ng may pamilya.”</em></p><p>Show your love (or hate?) to Mercedes Cabral as Lena in “<a href="https://ent.abs-cbn.com/batangquiapo"><em><strong><u>FPJ’s Batang Quiapo</u></strong></em></a>,” weeknights at 8 p.m., on <strong><u><a href="https://ent.abs-cbn.com/articles-news/kapamilya-channel-livestream-12685"><em>Kapamilya Channel</em></a>,</u></strong> <strong><u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@abscbnentertainment"><em>Kapamilya Online Live</em></a>,</u></strong> A2Z, and TV5.</p>

Find out what award-winning actress Mercedes Cabral wishes to tell her notorious FPJ’s Batang Quiapo character Lena in this video!