After years of nightly gunfights, betrayals, redemption arcs, and unforgettable street-level drama, Coco Martin has finally chosen where the road ends for Tanggol — and it wasn’t a network decision, nor ratings pressure, but a storyteller’s instinct.

The actor-director confirmed that FPJ’s Batang Quiapo will conclude on 13 March, closing a three-year run that reshaped primetime television once again.

For Martin, the ending arrived the moment the character himself stopped evolving.

“Nung ginalaw ko na 'yung kwento, ginalaw ko na ’yung mga characters, naramdaman kong parang hanggang dito na lang ’yung takbo ng buhay ni Tanggol sa Quiapo.

Ito na siguro ’yung pinakasagad na dulo na pwede kong takbuhin ng character ni Tanggol.” Coco said in an interview with ABSCBN News

The Story Decided Its Own Ending

Unlike long-running shows that extend conflicts indefinitely, Martin revealed he reached a creative wall — not in a negative sense, but in narrative completion. Tanggol had lived through every major dramatic element the series could offer.

“Nung naramdaman ko na, na si Tanggol… parang nagawa na niya lahat ng elements, hanggang sa natalo siya doon sa eleksyon, [natanong ko ang sarili ko,] ‘Ano pa ba yung pinaka-major na tatakbuhin nung kwento?”

“Nung ginalaw ko na yung kwento at nung ginalaw ko na yung mga character, naramdaman ko na parang hanggang dito na lang yung takbo ng kwento ni Tanggol sa Quiapo.”

Accepting that reality, however, proved harder than writing it.

“Ang hirap lumabas sa bibig, ang hirap ding tanggapin na… papasok minsan sa [isip] mo na matatapos na, magtatapos na.”

A Goodbye That Hurts

Throughout its run, the series became known for emotional exits — characters dying, allies falling, and cast members leaving. Each departure weighed heavily on the production.

“Nasasaktan ako, nalulungkot ako every time na may mga karakter na pinapatay, na ume-exit, na kinakantahan namin ng ‘thank you, thank you’. Tapos heto, ngayon, finally, magpapasalamat na ako sa lahat ng taong nagmahal at sumuporta.”

“Salamat po sa tatlong taong pagsuporta at pagmamahal niyo sa Batang Quiapo’.”

Martin also emphasized that the show’s success came from collective sacrifice, not just star power.

“Nagiging emosyonal ako kasi hirap na hirap talaga kami. Sobrang hirap talaga ng paggawa ng Batang Quiapo, hindi lang yung pagbuo, kundi yung pag-arte — lahat; in all aspects —sa lahat ng mga crew, sa mga directors, sa actors.”

A Bigger Ending Than Before

Having previously headlined the historic run of FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, Martin promised this finale would surpass even that landmark conclusion — not in scale alone, but in emotional payoff.

“[Sabi sa akin ng management,] ‘Kung yun ang pinakamagandang kwentong mabubuo natin sa pagtatapos ng “Batang Quiapo”, kung ano yung deserve ng show at ng mga manonood natin, okay lang [kung magtapos na ito].’”

“Pero pinaghandaan namin ang pagtatapos talaga ng ‘Batang Quiapo’, more than sa pagtatapos ng ‘Probinsyano’.”

And he teased that the final weeks will feel like a long cinematic event rather than ordinary episodes.

“Sana po, samahan niyo kami. At ipinapangako po namin sa inyo, na sa loob ng tatlong taon, itong tatlong linggong ito ay isa sa mga hindi niyo malilimutang teleserye na mapapanood niyo sa gabi-gabi.”

One More Revelation Coming

Even as the curtain falls, Martin hinted the story surrounding the show is not entirely over.

“Meron [din] akong isang mahalagang sasabihin sa mga tao [sa mga susunod na araw], na isang importanteng bagay na kailangan nilang malaman.”

For now, viewers prepare to walk the final streets of Quiapo — a place where Tanggol fought, ruled, lost, and ultimately completed the life he was meant to live.