There was a time Eric Fructuoso was so good at making us kilig. But he gradually moved on with playing antagonistic roles that have become his specialty. Viewers of Mars Ravelo’s Darna can feel intense gigil whenever his character police officer Arthur Pineda appears on screen not just because he loves to bully Brian (Joshua Garcia), but because he represents a corrupt person in authority using his power for personal gains.
Here’s a Kapamilya Toplist to remind you how annoying his character is – especially when he chuckles and then his minions follow suit.
The first scene reflects Pineda’s abusive behavior when he released the snatcher that Brian arrested that morning. The criminal was part of a gang protected by Pineda’s group. Brian knew it was an inside job but he couldn’t find solid evidence to prove Pineda’s nefarious acts.
While some kontrabidas use big waves of negative emotions such as anger to infuriate their audience, Pineda keeps it chill, which is just as effective. He simply cracks salty comments punctuated by his annoying laugh. For instance, he poked fun at Brian for being romantically linked with Darna (Jane de Leon). We mean, he always finds something to belittle Brian about. Thankfully, the latter is smart enough not to engage, saying he doesn’t owe anyone an explanation, especially Pineda.
He suggested Brian lead the Task Force Extra but not without demeaning the stalwart cop. He said Brian is bida-bida and therefore fit for the position. Later on, he admitted that he simply wants to put Brian in danger and see him killed by the Extras.
He thought Brian was going to die in an encounter with Killer Ghost (Christian Bables). But when Brian survived a life-and-death situation, Pineda applauded him in a sarcastic fashion. Then, Brian fiercely said he is not yet going to die because there are a lot more criminals to throw in jail, much to Pineda’s chagrin.
When Brian persuaded his comrades to sign up for Task Force Extra, Pineda laughed off the former’s heroism and thought nobody wants to join. Much to his surprise, and humiliation, the other cops were inspired by Brian’s courage. Nothing annoys Pineda more than seeing Brian on spotlight.
Of course, he’s more than just a bully. He is a murderer. We saw him kill several times just so he can protect the syndicate. He shot a member in cold blood during police operations, and another who wanted to leave the rogue life behind. Then, he ordered his men to falsify the police report.
Add to that the scene where he displayed brutality toward Eli aka Levitator (Enchong Dee) in front of his fellow cops. He hit Eli despite the latter surrendering to the police. If it weren’t for Brian and Ernie (Jeffrey Santos), he could’ve been more aggressive.
One more thing we hate about Pineda is that he likes to project his villainy onto other people. He accused Brian and even Narda (Jane de Leon) of special treatment toward Regina aka Valentina (Janella Salvador) just because she is their friend, when in fact, it is he who protects criminals and kills the innocent.
In the final scene in this montage, Pineda shut up when Brian vowed to topple down the biggest villains in Nueva Esperanza, especially those with whom Pineda is scheming, and spitted out this threat, “Sisiguraduhin kona masasaktan ka.” Yes, we can’t wait for that day to come.
Don’t miss an episode of Mars Ravelo’s Darna, weeknights, on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, and A2Z.