Who is Severo Alacran from Dogeaters and what is their importance?

Severo Alacran is the wealthiest man in the Philippines, the owner of a soda manufacturer, TruCola. He is having an affair with the Filipino soft-porn starlet Lolita Luna. Alacran is friends with both General Ledesma and Senator Avila, but he is unperturbed by the latter's assassination. His businesses success is contingent on the rule of the Marcos family.