Is the taong-grasa who roams Sitio Catacutan for real or is he an undercover agent?

--His hair is long but chopped off for comfort.
--He is dirty but does not stink.
--His all-black shirt and shorts are too contrived, and slashed in the right places.
--He knows how to spend the coins that people give him.
--Sometimes I see him taking a break and smoking a cigarette.