Herminia, a woman heavy with children, with her four children in tow witnesses her husband being forcibly taken, tortured, and murdered by henchmen of an unscrupulous, land-grabbing politician due to disputes in land ownership. After being hunted down by these henchmen, they flee their hometown and in the process, Herminia's eldest son and only daughter get separated from them. Herminia and her three boys end up living in the city's slums. 15 years later, each of the boys turns to a life of crime one gets incarcerated for killing his wife, one becomes a robber and kidnapper and the other one becomes a drug dealer.