Mercedes Cabral's Lena bids farewell to 'Batang Quiapo'

MANILA, Philippines — “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo’s” infamous character Lena, played by Mercedes Cabral, bid goodbye to the Kapamilya action series last Friday.

Mercedes extended her heartfelt gratitude to Coco Martin for entrusting her to play a pivotal role in the series and she also shared her appreciation on how invested the viewers are in the story.

"I'd like to thank Coco because if he had not given me the role of Lena, I wouldn't have gained this much recognition on mainstream TV. To the viewers, thank you because even if I know you disliked Lena, I still hear and read positive comments that truly touch me as an actress,” said Mercedes in a video shared online by CCM Film Productions.

Viewers were left stunned over the shocking death of Lena, who eventually lost her sanity following her separation from Rigor (John Estrada) and the loss of their child, after she was shot by Rigor just before she could stab Marites (Cherry Pie Picache).

Mercedes also expressed how much she will miss working with her co-stars, most especially Cherry Pie and Direk Joel Lamangan, since their rapport on- and off-cam was a welcome surprise.

Lena’s character caught the ire of viewers and was considered as one of the most hated "kontrabidas" in primetime television where she played an arrogant mistress. Mercedes’ effective portrayal was a major hit, with viewers even impersonating Lena’s trending lines in the series such as “gusto ko ng liempo” and “Righoouur,” while she was also dubbed as the “pambansang jumper.”

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