Why does Ali (Mac Manicad) remains faithful to Regina (Janella Salvador) even though his feelings often go unnoticed, and getting near her only spells tragedy for anyone? There are a few factors that play into this scenario but it all boils down to one main reason: love.

He got her back, always, although his loyalty has become an ingredient for her villainy. Kapamilya Toplist collates the scenes where Ali enabled Regina/Valentina, for love and loyalty’s sake, in Mars Ravelo’s Darna.

At the time when Nueva Esperanza was oblivious to Regina’s secret identity, it was Ali who would clean up her mess. Regina could transform into Valentina, slither into every corner of Nueva Esperanza to kill anytime she wants because there’s Ali to hide traces of her venom. He would discard the bodies of her victims like the random mugger on the street and the makeup artist who called himself a Darna (Jane de Leon) fanatic.

He offers himself as her go-to person to vent on. And he never forgets to give her a glass of wine to calm her nerves. Ali would patiently listen whenever Regina rants about her enemies, especially her frustrations about not being able to defeat Darna. There was also a scene where Regina opened up on how she feels about Narda (Jane de Leon)’s concern after the latter realized Valentina’s pattern of killing, which is related to Regina’s court cases.

Regina’s bad news, no matter how petty, will never sound annoying to Ali. He listened to her speak out her disgust after receiving an offer from Borgo to join his army.

Ali will put up with her jealous bouts and temper – and rapid-fire slaps. Remember the scene where Valentina went hostile over Ali joining Narda’s campaign for Vanguardia Rescue? The poor guy could only beg for his life and promise to know better next time. Ali, your boss can be aggressive and she can bite, remember that.

It only shows that even he can be Regina/Valentina’s victim. Yet, he chose to stay by her side. He used to be scared of her serpentine appearance but now he even talks to her in snake form.

There was a time Ali wanted to just save Regina from her cruel fate. He tried his best to remind her of who she really is. For him, Regina isn’t a villain but just a victim of Borgo (Richard Quan)’s wickedness. He had high hopes when Regina became best friends with Narda. When she came home energized after a visit to the Custodios, Ali said he is happy that Regina has someone to make her feel at peace.

However, not even his affection can stop her from turning into the worst version of herself. She fully embraced her power as the snake woman. And if power makes her feel good, then, Ali will help her attain that power. This was evident in the scene where he took care of Regina in her hideout and asked her to recover first, so she’ll be more capable of defeating Darna once they clash again.

And because of his devotion to Regina, Ali became a bona fide villain on his own.

Watch him as one of Borgo’s Super Soldiers in Mars Ravelo’s Darna, weeknights, on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, and A2Z.