Back to be Bad

Almost everyone in the little town of Sta. Maria believes Anghelita is cursed. Sure, the child’s closest friends habitually try to make people realize the misfortunes they experience are not her fault, but the ones in power insist she is to blame. And with these influential men comes Kapitan Isaac’s right-hand guy, Luis, ably played by Robert Ortega. Text and Photos by Jessa Ericka C. Bien With an interview by Xylen Geecel D. Alamo Luis is Robert's comeback to the primetime block. The character is marked by a mean streak whose purpose is to show loyalty to his boss Isaac (Daniel Fernando) at the expense of Anghelita ( Krystal Reyes). Rich with hurtful words aimed at hurting the meek child’s ego, Luis influences townspeople to believe she is the town’s nuisance. “Isa ako sa nagpapahirap kay Anghelita. Kami (ni Kapitan Isaac) 'yung nagbubuyo (sa mga taong-bayan). Kami 'yung naniniwala na 'yung mga ginagawa niya puro kasamaan” he says. “Very bad ako dito” he discloses, since other than his innate human wickedness, Luis manifests more evil as he becomes one of the apostles of doom. With the tiyanak (Mura) and other sinister converts, he brings the darkness’s battle with goodness to greater heights. As early as now, Robert sees the impact his character may have on the audiences. “Habang tumatagal may mag-aano (maninita na) sa akin. Pero naisip ko naman, trabaho lang ito. Hindi naman (siguro) nila iisiping sa totoong buhay ganoon ako kasama” he says, grinning. Fun at Work Robert may be a bad guy on screen, but he is a really nice guy when the camera stops rolling. In between takes, he lounges in the artists’ tent, talking with his co-stars and sharing jokes. “Masaya, parang pamilya rito eh. Lahat dito mababait, (kaya) basta magkakasama kami okay na iyon” he shares. The ability to work with children with ease is also another factor why he enjoys being part of the show. This is advantageous for him since he has to do a lot of scenes with Krystal. “Hindi ako nahihirapan sa bata. Magaling (si Krystal). Hindi siya marunong mag-reklamo kahit na taping namin sa gitna ng araw o sa madilim na lugar na maraming lamok. Para siyang matanda kung umarte, (so) hindi mo na kailangan alalayan” he comments. “Usong-uso talaga ngayon 'yung mga show na bata ang bida” Robert observes, citing this as the reason why their show clicks. “Saka nangyayari sa totoong buhay ito eh, (at) mayroon talagang lesson (na makukuha).” Catch more of Robert in Mga Mata ni Anghelita, weeknights after 24 Oras. View its photo gallery by clicking here . Or leave a comment about the show and its cast in the iGMA Forum .