Dennis is a cop who got suspended after killing a suspect when he just followed the orders of his superior (Richard Gomez). He now works as an instructor in a class for aspiring security guards while waiting to be reinstated. After the tragic bank heist where 10 people are mercilessly killed by the robbers, Richard is instructed by his boss, Ricky Davao, to assign someone to liquidate the culprits. They got their information from a tortured tricycle driver who served as the lookout (Nicco Manalo).
Dennis is a deeply religious man. He goes to Quiapo church regularly as a “panata” and makes the sign of the cross each time he kills someone. He sees nothing wrong in what he’s doing, taking short cuts as a law enforcer. For him, it’s just “Hustisya”. (This is the film that should really be titled “Hustisya”.) Dennis’ wife, LJ Reyes, is pregnant with their first baby. They live with Dennis’ burdensome dad (Dante Garcia) and invalid mom (Irma Adlawan.)
Dennis tracks down all the four suspects one by one: Jerald Napoles, Alex Medina, Raymond Bagatsing and Derek Ramsay. His encounter with Raymond and Derek are both beautifully executed action-packed sequences. The one with Raymond happens inside an elevator while that of Derek is set in an abandoned building while a drug raid is going on.
But doubts about the veracity of the lookout’s revelations soon creep in and Dennis will be in for a big surprise. The twist really taints the wisdom of summary executions. And even more shocking is when a major character gets ambushed himself and is brutally executed.
The film is well served by the entire cast who delivers fine ensemble acting. We didn’t really like Derek Ramsay’s performance in his sex-dramas, especially in “Trophy Wife” where John Estrada simply overshadows him. But here, he plays an offbeat role and attacks it with much energy and enthusiasm. He’s also more daring in his sizzling bed scene here with his stripper girlfriend, the sexy Sunshine Garcia (who does full frontal nudity), than in any of the sexy flicks he has done before.
Raymond Bagatsing, Richard Gomez, Dante Rivero, Alex Medina and LJ Reyes all give excellent support, but the real standout here is Dennis in the title role. It’s a solid, sterling portrayal full of great nuances. The irony of it all is that he can clean up the mess of criminals and yet, at home, he is helpless in confronting his own abusive father. The last scene shows him getting a broom and dustpan and sweeping the garbage on the floor with all the pictures of the people he killed in them. This is the most satisfying local film we’ve seen this year.
