Shocking crime stirs interest in Agimat's prolific life

The Cain-and-Abel episode within the Revilla clan unfolding before the nation's eyes has stirred interest in ex-senator and screen legend Ramon Revilla Sr.'s prolific reproductive career. At last count, "Agimat", as he was known to his legion of fans, had 72 children with 16 different women, but he isn't quite certain of that number of progeny, according to his spokesperson. Our infographic shows just two of his families, both currently in the news. We had originally intended to produce a family tree, but the multiple families would have made it look more like an orchard.

The slain Ramgen Revilla, 23, was the eldest in a brood of nine that Revilla Sr. sired with ex-actress Genelyn Magsaysay. Ramgen is the half-brother of actor and Senator Bong Revilla, who is among seven children Ramon Sr. had with Azucena Mortel Bautista, who used Revilla's real-life surname. Bong has an older brother, Marlon Bautista, a film producer who used to act in their father's movies. Revilla Sr. apparently didn't see a need to hide his families from each other or from the public, which is the usual practice in other societies. In this rare interview with Jessica Soho, Ramon Revilla Sr. admits to having an astonishing number of children: around 80. The Philippines' peculiar brand of moral conservatism has so far stopped efforts to promote reproductive health or legalize divorce, abortion or gay marriage. But it didn't stop voters from electing a proud ladies' man like Revilla to two consecutive terms in the Senate. Neither did church teachings have much effect on voters when they elected to the presidency by a landslide another multiple-family man by the name of Joseph Estrada. - Howie Severino, GMA News