Although we may not know where Mando (Allan Paule)’s house is yet (as netizens joke), there’s one thing we know for sure is that he’s a good friend. This feature compiles the moments he proved his loyalty to his best friend Rigor (John Estrada) in “FPJ's Batang Quiapo.”

From his younger years, Mando has been a close friend to Rigor and has never left his side, no matter how troublesome Rigor gets. As a true friend, he offers guidance, even when it's hard to hear. He never tolerates Rigor’s reckless actions but instead tries to pull him back to the right path. When Rigor's mistress Lena (Mercedes Cabral) miscarried, and he blamed his legal wife Marites (Cherry Pie Picache), Mando told Rigor that while he understans his grief, no one wanted what happened. He advised him to fix his family and rebuild what he had lost.

In the next scene, even Mando felt the heat of Rigor's temper when he told him he spoke with Tanggol (Coco Martin) at Noy (Lou Veloso)'s wake, which Rigor didn’t like. His best friend scolded him and accused him of enabling Tanggol’s actions. But Mando pushed to open Rigor’s eyes, urging him to give Tanggol a chance to prove his willingness to change.

A true friend isn’t just there in the good times; they are the ones who step in to help you see the truth, even when your own heart refuses to listen. When Rigor and his favorite son David (McCoy de Leon) got caught in a crossfire against Ramon (Christopher de Leon) and Tanggol, Rigor placed all the blame on Marites, whom he had thrown in jail after accusing her of being an accomplice of Ramon. Like a voice of reason, Mando tried to make Rigor see that Marites wasn’t to blame for what happened. But Rigor’s pride and narrow mind wouldn’t let him accept the truth. He insisted that Marites was the one who brought misfortune to their lives.

After Rigor was dismissed from the police force, he lost his way and even turned to committing crimes. But Mando didn’t give up on his friend. He still believed that the Rigor he knew—the good cop—was still in him. Mando reminded Rigor that the best friend he knew would fight to make things right. He immediately offered help, arranging for Rigor to meet his sister at the city hall, where a job fair was being held, knowing that the first step Rigor needed to take was to find a new job.

A true friend doesn’t just stick around for the easy times; they stay and offer a hand even when the road ahead seems uncertain. That’s how Mando is to Rigor.

Don't miss an episode of “FPJ's Batang Quiapo,” weeknights on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), TV5, and A2Z.