Babman is an adventure story arc

Story arc

A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...

 of the Philippine comic strip series Pugad Baboy

Pugad Baboy

Pugad Baboy is a comic strip created by Filipino cartoonist Apolonio "Pol" Medina, Jr. The strip is about a Manila community of mostly obese people - "fat as pigs", so to speak ....

, created by Pol Medina Jr. and originally published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer

Philippine Daily Inquirer

The Philippine Daily Inquirer, popularly known as the Inquirer, is the most widely read broadsheet newspaper in the Philippines, with a daily circulation of 260,000 copies. It is one of the Philippines' newspapers of record...

. This particular story arc lasts 37 strips long. In 2002, the story arc was reprinted in Katorse, the fourteenth book compilation of the comic strip series.

Synopsis

Babman, the "Pork Knight", is Bab's secret identity. He is otherwise known as Bruce Swine (a spoof of Bruce Wayne) to residents of Gothom City (a spoof of Gotham City

Gotham City

Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...

 and a twist on the Filipino

Filipino language

This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...

 word, gutom, meaning "hunger" - as Gothom City is a squatters' area

Squatting

Squatting consists of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have permission to use....

.) where as Babman, he patrols at night looking for situations with potential for violence and criminal activity.

It was in Sapang Talahib (Grass Creek), a different squatters' area, where Bab met Mr. Chan, owner of the "Shaolin Temple", a restaurateur

Restaurateur

A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of the restaurant business.-Etymology:The word...

 who hired him as a waiter. Mr. Chan became Bab's friend and master in the Kung Fu style known as the "Stoned Dragon", a martial arts

Martial arts

Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....

 technique practiced with the aid of a healthy dose of marijuana. Mr. Chan declares Bab a "Stoned Master" and has him receive the Master's mark - a Dragon

Dragon

A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...

 and Tiger

Tiger

The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...

 tattoo

Tattoo

A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...

 made by placing cast iron

Cast iron

Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...

 hot plates on both forearms. Bab's mother, however, discovered his "Stoned Master" status and had him rehabilitated for four months. Upon his release, he returned to Sapang Talahib, and found a that the area had been converted into a parking lot for a nearby mall. He followed the residents to Cavite

Cavite

Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...

, where they had been resettled in a place they called Gothom City.

"Samting fishy"

It had not been a year since the squatters had been relocated to Gothom City when they began to be harassed by goons hired by the lot's owner. Babman decided to defend the residents from these goons, using the street fighting

Street fighting

Street fighting is a colloquial term used to denote unsanctioned, illegal in some countries, hand-to-hand fighting in public places, between individuals or groups of people....

 techniques he had learned from Mr. Chan. A few months after, however, Bab learns that the residents were being moved again, despite their earlier vehement opposition to being relocated. This arouses his suspicions that something fishy was going on.

His investigation revealed that a certain Doña Fe Bagamundo had bought the Gothom City lot. He also discovered that the same Doña Fe had bought all the lots formerly occupied by the Gothom City residents. Babman decides to stake out the residents at the new relocation site they called Malunggay Uno (Moringa

Moringa oleifera

Moringa oleifera, the word Moringa probably came from dravidian language Tamil and commonly referred to as "Shojne" in Bengali, "Munagakaya" in Telugu,"Shenano" in Rajasthani,...

 One). Goons were again harassing the squatters, but instead of confronting them, Babman began tailing the bad guys. As he suspected, the goons made their way to Doña Fe's mansion

Mansion

A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...

. Eavesdropping on the group, Babman learns their modus operandi

Modus operandi

Modus operandi is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "mode of operation". The term is used to describe someone's habits or manner of working, their method of operating or functioning...

: Doña Fe's goons pretended to be the lot owner's bad guys; they would fan the flames of violence until public sympathy fell in favor of the squatters and the lot owner was forced to sell the land. Babman learns the awful truth - the people he had been defending were professional squatters. He decides to determine who the legitimate squatters were; he also interviews the former owners of the lots. After gathering more information, Babman decides to battle Doña Fe and her goons.

Unmasking the mastermind

Babman captures the goons and gathers the residents in a meeting. He explains the situation to them and Doña Fe's scheme. He prevails on the residents to cooperate when he brings the case to the Solicitor General, in order for the lots to be returned to their rightful owners. He, however, decides not to reveal the identities of the professional squatters just yet. He was about to take Rufo, Doña Fe's head goon and the other bad guys to the DILG

Department of the Interior and Local Government (Philippines)

The Philippines' Department of the Interior and Local Government is the executive department of the Philippine Government responsible for promoting peace and order, ensuring public safety, and strengthening the capabilities of local government units...

 when he saw something on Rufo's arms that gave him pause. He asks the residents to give him two hours - there was someone missing from his list of bad guys.

Babman goes to the "Shaolin Temple", Mr. Chan's restaurant. There, he encounters the crooked cops who were part of Doña Fe's racket. He takes away their guns and goes looking for Mr. Chan. Babman reveals his identity to Mr. Chan, who inquires of Babman how he was able to uncover his collusion with Doña Fe. Babman replies that he saw the tiger and dragon tattoo on Rufo's arms. He further explains that he went to the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation, where he determined that Mr. Chan was an illegal alien

Alien (law)

In law, an alien is a person in a country who is not a citizen of that country.-Categorization:Types of "alien" persons are:*An alien who is legally permitted to remain in a country which is foreign to him or her. On specified terms, this kind of alien may be called a legal alien of that country...

 and was consequently barred from acquiring Philippine land - hence, Doña Fe was but a front for Mr. Chan, the real mastermind behind the squatter racket. Bab attempted to arrest Mr. Chan, but the Chinaman

Chinaman

Chinaman is a contentious term referring to a Chinese person* whether of Han Chinese ethnicity* or a citizen of China, Chinese people.Or the term may also refer to:* A colloquial term for a square hay baler overhead feeding plunger...

 blew cannabis

Cannabis

Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...

 smoke at his face, distracting him enough for Mr. Chan to execute the "Stoned Dragon" technique. Fortunately, Bab had learned a countermeasure; the "Curly Joe

Curly Joe DeRita

Joe DeRita , born Joseph Wardell, was an American comedian who is best known as Curly-Joe DeRita, the "sixth" member of the Three Stooges.-Early life:...

 Defense". As Mr. Chan and Bab square off, the crooked cops barged in with their back-up revolvers drawn. Using the fighting technique he had learned from watching Robert Jaworski

Robert Jaworski

Robert Salazar Jaworski , also known as Sonny Jaworski, Bobby Jaworski, Robert Jaworski, Sr. or simply Jawo, is a former Philippine senator, basketball coach and Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association and PBA basketball player.Known as The Big J and called The Living Legend...

, "Basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 Kung Fu", Bab subdued all three bad guys.

Chian Jia Yao, aka. Mr. Chan and Doña Fe were brought to the NBI after they were charged with conspiracy

Conspiracy (crime)

In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...

, grave threat

Intimidation

Intimidation is intentional behavior "which would cause a person of ordinary sensibilities" fear of injury or harm. It's not necessary to prove that the behavior was so violent as to cause terror or that the victim was actually frightened.Criminal threatening is the crime of intentionally or...

s and arson

Arson

Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...

. While the case was being heard, the squatters moved out of the disputed lands.