Mobster Asiong Salonga (ER Ejercito) rules the mean streets of Manila with an iron fist—until he is betrayed by a trusted friend. Manila Kingpin is based on the story of the notorious Tondo, Manila, gang leader Nicasio “Asiong” Salonga, whose true-to-life accounts had been portrayed in several movie versions since 1961 (starring Joseph Estrada). It is also the first Filipino major film produced in black-and-white in the 21st century as well as the returning action genre movie. Before the film was shown, Tikoy Aguiluz requested the producers, through his lawyers, that his directorial credits in the film and promotional tools be removed because the final version of the film can no longer be described as his after the producers made a reedit, re-shoot and music mixing without his involvement. He also demanded that he be allowed to make a director's cut of the film.
Well done bio pic of a notorious Filipino gangster in the late 40's until his death at the age of 26 in 1951.
In the later part of the 40s and early part of the 50s, the name Asiong Salonga brought fears and chills to the residents of Tondo and its environs. Salonga, a dreaded and notorious gang leader, and the likes of Totoy Golem, Toothpick, Boy Zapanta and other toughies that time, Tondo became a bloodbath of gangland violence.
Official entry to the first Metro Manila Film Festival in 1978 directed by Romy Suzara and starred Rudy Fernandez, George Estregan, Trixia Gomez, Ruel Vernal, Raul Aragon, Dencio Padilla, Amy Austria, Rodolfo 'Boy' Garcia, Jose Romulo, and Veronica Jones
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