THE EIGHTIES # 1117: LORNA TOLENTINO AND RICHARD GOMEZ, WITH HELEN GAMBOA, DANTE RIVERO, PILAR PILAPIL, EDDIE GARCIA IN LINO BROCKA'S "KAILAN MAHUHUGASAN ANG KASALANAN?" (1989)

"Kailan Mahuhugasan ang Kasalanan?" (1989)

Vision Films

Release Date May 22, 1989

Serialized over DZRH

Story Salvador Royales

Screenplay Butch Dalisay

Cinematography Rody Lacap

Editor Augusto Salvador

Production Designer Benjie de Guzman

Musical Director Willy Cruz

Line Producer Olivia M. Lamasan

Executive Producer Charo Santos- Concio

Direction Lino Brocka

Cast Lorna Tolentino and Richard Gomez/ with Helen Gamboa, Dante Rivero, Pilar Pilapil, Eddie Garcia/ Also Starring Gino Antonio, Suzanne Gonzales, Ramil Rodriguez, Ernie Zarate, Aida Carmona, Benjie Gonzales/ Special Participation - Apa Ongpin

====================================================================

Synopsis: Adora (Helen Gamboa) has the misfortune of becoming pregnant without a husband. Oscar Lantin (Dante Rivero), a driver, marries her in spite of her condition but he turns out to be a drunk and up to his ears in debt. When the underworld pulls the squeeze on Oscar, he decides to steal Adora’s baby and sells it to a childless couple, Don Claudio (Eddie Garcia) and Beatrice Escudero (Pilar Pilapil). The child is named Monica (Lorna Tolentino).

Monica is raised in a household of continual quarreling. Don Claudio is impotent and Dona Beatrice seeks companionship from Douglas (Gino Antonio). However, Monica grows up to be a lovely woman and is wooed by her law classmate and constant academic rival, Robert (Richard Gomez).

Oscar leaves Adora. He gets involved in a bank robbery and is sentenced to twenty years in prison. Meanwhile, not knowing where her husband is, Adora teams up with a friend, Lourdes (Suzanne Gonzales), and puts up a corner turo -turo near the factory owned by

Don Claudio.

One rainy night, Don Claudio meets Adora and is charmed by her. He convinces her to work in his house as a cook. In one of the big parties of the Escuderos, Adora discovers Beatrice in the arms of Douglas. Beatrice becomes unhinged and starts accusing Adora of stealing jewelry and of lying.

Oscar is set free. He returns to the Escudero mansion but is not rehired. Monica and Robert pass the bar exams but their student rivalry continues. She is employed in a prestigious law firm; he joins a group of lawyers dedicated to providing legal aid to the poor.

The handsome Robert successfully woos Monica and their engagement is announced. In the engagement party, Douglas reappears and gets into a heated argument with Beatrice. Adora hears the scuffle and finds Beatrice fatally stabbed with a knife. She is accused of killing Beatrice and is jailed.

Penniless, Adora seeks the legal aid of Robert. This angers Monica who feels betrayed by his defense of her mother’s killer. When Oscar learns that Adora is accused of a crime, he tells her that Monica is really her daughter. However, she tells Oscar not to reveal her real identity.

Wanting to repent for his indiscretion, Oscar tells Robert anyway of Monica’s real parentage. Robert informs Monica who is happy with the revelation. She is eager to join Robert in the defense of her real mother. Monica thinks up of a clever scheme to save her.

(Source: Lino Brocka: The Artist and His Times)

Original theatrical poster of Lino Brocka's "Kailan Mahuhugasan ang Kasalanan?" (1989)

(Private Collection)