Frank Rivera, Mario O'Hara.
Bagong Hari is all political metaphor. It's a terminal film, the last great Filipino film before the end of the Marcos era, arguably the last great film of that period from 1974 to 1986 (I don't really consider the end of a decade the end of an artistic period) that is considered a golden age of Philippine Cinema.
It's the last word on the cycle of violence, torture, assassination that marked that period. In a way, it does for violence what Scorpio Nights does for sex.
Elvira Manahan is Imelda, Celso plays Erap, I'm not sure but I think Joel Lamangan is Fabian Ver. Joel Torre doesn't seem to stand in for Bongbong Maros, tho (was he a homicidal sociopath? Seems more like Enrile's boy). The death of Arevalo could be a stand in for the death of Ninoy. And the province this all takes place in is unnamed, but you assume it's Manila.
Jojo, anyone, you know of any political subtext I'm missing here?