Hector at Rigor, nagbanggaan sa utos ng mayor

What does “hepe” mean in Tagalog?

In this tense scene a man asserts “Ako ang hepe ng presinto” (“I’m the precinct chief”). Hepe means “chief,” and it’s a clear Spanish loanword, from jefe. Notice the sound shift: Spanish j becomes a Tagalog h, turning jefe into hepe. Even presinto (precinct) is borrowed from Spanish.

Three centuries of Spanish rule left Tagalog packed with these words: kabayo (horse, from caballo), mesa (table), kwarto (room), oras (hour). Spotting the j → h pattern helps you decode many of them. You’ll hear hepe constantly in Filipino teleseryes about police, mayors, and barangay officials.