There are people who, no matter how much time has passed, still find it difficult to move on from someone they once loved deeply—even when it is clear that their feelings will never be reciprocated because that person already loves someone else.
Such is the case for Paquito (Rez Cortez), the self-proclaimed king of Ginintuang Lupa, who continues to harbor unrequited feelings for Betchay (Irma Adlawan) in “Coco Martin’s Sigabo.” While we have yet to find out if all his sweet gestures, generous offers, and not-so-subtle hints toward Betchay will eventually pay off, let’s revisit the scenes from primetime action-drama series that show Paquito’s attempts to win her heart in this episode of Kapamilya Toplist.
Desperate to earn more money, Betchay applied to become one of the guest relations officers (GROs) at BeerGin, the beerhouse owned by her old friend Paquito—one of the relatively well-off and influential people in Ginintuang Lupa. With no customers for her on her first night, Paquito offered to have a few drinks with her, giving them a chance to reminisce about their past.
Paquito confessed that he had been deeply fond of Betchay when they were younger, only to have his feelings rejected because she was head over heels for Rudy. He then took a swipe at her for choosing Rudy over him, pointing out that she ended up with a live-in partner who had achieved nothing in life and a son who was an ex-convict. When Betchay argued that nobody in Ginintuang Lupa was successful, Paquito presented himself as an exception, boasting about how he once ruled their barangay as its "king" before passing the title on to his son, Django (Jhong Hilario).
As Betchay and his current live-in partner Ibyang (Aleck Bovick) engaged in a scorching catfight at BeerGin, Paquito instead sided with Betchay and reprimanded Ibyang, asking her to leave and instructing one of his henchmen to take her home.
Despite the trouble Betchay caused at his beerhouse, Paquito still gave her the money she earned that night, including her tips. He also invited her to join his group, promising that she could earn as much as P10,000 for every mission she successfully completed. Betchay, however, was hesitant to accept the offer, as she did not want to get involved in criminal activities.
After she apparently turned down his initial offer, Paquito decided to appoint her as the new manager of BeerGin, since she knew that she was already familiar with the business operations and understood how to make it profitable. When Betchay proposed relieving all the current GROs and replacing them with younger ones, Paquito immediately approved the idea.
Betchay accepted the position and wasted no time carrying out her responsibilities as BeerGin’s new manager. Aside from requesting the replacement of the air-conditioning unit and karaoke machine, she personally welcomed customers and assigned GROs to them. Before she headed home after her shift, Paquito rewarded her with a tray of pancit and crispy pata as a “bonus” for being such a great manager.
As Betchay expressed how happy she was to finally experience being on the receiving end instead of always being the one giving, Paquito once again made another suggestive mark that if she had chosen him back then, she would have received more than just pancit and crispy pata from him.
Paquito’s jealousy was obvious when he refused to let Betchay take his watch as a gift for her beloved Rudy. It was just as apparent when he didn't let Betchay take the following day off for Rudy’s birthday celebration, reminding her that she had only just been promoted.
When Betchay instead asked if she could simply come in late, Paquito questioned why she was choosing to prioritize her live-in partner when Rudy did not even love her. He further suggested that Rudy might be hiding something from her after Betchay mentioned that Rudy had started treating her well again. As Betchay continued to convince him about it, Paquito eventually responded curtly, "Bahala ka."
The following day, Betchay was surprised to see Paquito in the ukay-ukay shop where she bought a watch for Rudy. Seeing that she was struggling to haggle with the storekeeper, Paquito offered to pay for it, as well as to take her shopping for new clothes, which she giddily accepted.
Later that night, Paquito spotted Betchay sitting alone outside BeerGin, looking frustrated. She opened up about how irritated she was with the people at home and at BeerGin, making her wonder whether she was the problem or if they were. Paquito assured her that she was not the problem and even suggested that she take a day off—with one condition: she had to bring him along.
They dined at a restaurant, where Betchay continued to rant about Rudy. This gave Paquito another opportunity to imply that she should have chosen him over Rudy because he was the right man for her. Paquito promised that if Betchay became his, he would treat her like a queen. Betchay, however, said she would rather be a princess—and Paquito was more than willing to adjust, declaring himself ready to be her prince instead.
From showering her with gifts to dropping not-so-subtle hints about what could have been, Paquito appears determined to show her just how much he can offer. Could Betchay finally be seeing Paquito in a different light?
Let's see by not missing an episode of "Coco Martin's Sigabo," weeknights at 8:00 PM on ABS-CBN sa ALLTV2, Kapamilya Channel, TV5, A2Z, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), or stream anytime on iWant!
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