Herminia, a woman heavy with child, with her four chikdren 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 turn 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.