Verbs with the “maka-” prefix are actor-focused.
In the sentence "Si Erwin ang huling nakalaban ni Yael", the prefix “naka-” is not the single “maka-” prefix that you had in mind. It is instead, a combination of two separate prefixes – “ma-” and “ka-”. The root is “laban (fight)” and with the “ka-” prefix it becomes “kal
aban”, a noun that means “opponent/enemy”. It is only the “ma-” prefix, and not the "maka-" prefix, that can be used to form both actor- and object-focus verbs.
Adding “ma-” to the noun “kalaban”, we get “m
ákalaban (to have someone/something as an opponent)”. That’s the reason why I mentioned earlier that the “ma-” prefix may be translated as the “to be” verb and came up with the translation, “Erwin was the last opponent of Yael”. Adding “ma-” to “kal
aban” produces an object-focus verb. (An example of an actor-focus verb with a “ma-” prefix is “matulog”.)
It is this combination of the two prefixes to form “m
ákalaban (n
ákal
aban, n
ákakal
aban, m
ákakal
aban)” that can give the same meaning as the verb “lab
anan (nilab
anan, nil
álab
anan, l
álab
anan)” – Si Erwin ang huling n
ákal``aban/nilab
anan ni Yael. Both verbs are object-focus.
The single “maka-” prefix, depending on which syllable is stressed in the verb it forms, can give either the “to be able to” or “to have the chance to” meaning. Hence, “makal
aban” (to be able to fight back) or “mak
álaban” (to have a chance to fight) can’t replace “lab
anan” (to fight/fight back).
Hind
í nil
á kayang lab
anan ang is
áng t
aong may hawak na bar
íl. = They can’t fight a person who is holding a gun. (lab
anan - object-focus)
Ayaw nil
áng M
Ákalaban ang is
áng t
aong may hawak na bar
íl. = They would not like to fight/have as an opponent a person who is holding a gun. (ma’’-ka-laban - object-focus)
Sila ay puwedeng MAKAl
aban sa is
áng t
aong may hawak na baril kung sila rin ay may mga bar
íl. = They can (will be able to) fight back with a man holding a gun if they also have guns. (maka-l
aban - subject-focus)
Gust
ó nil
áng MAK
Álaban nang patas. = They would like to have a chance/be able to fight fair and square. (mak
á-laban - subject-focus)