Current Date: 01 May, 2026
{{entry.title}}

Did Gil Pérez Really Teleport from Manila to Mexico Overnight? The 1593 Mystery

On October 24, 1593, while performing his guard duties at Manila's Governor's Palace in the Philippines, Gil Perez stopped to lean against a wall and sleep for a while. He opened his eyes to find himself in an unusual environment. Gil was in the Plaza Mayor in Mexico City. They imprisoned Perez, but the authorities in Mexico City decided to release him and return him home.

ESP, time travel, and teleportation are frequent plot devices in fiction. Why not? (Try counting how many time-defying tropes-containing books, films, or television shows were published this year.) It’s an intriguing idea, especially given that physicists claim it’s entirely feasible. But most of the time, reality is stranger than fiction.

Consider the Moberly-Jourdain incident, in which two women, Eleanor Jourdain and Charlotte Anne Moberly, asserted that they had traveled through time while at the Palace of Versailles in 1901. According to legend, the two realized that everything appeared unusual and surreal as they made their way to the Petit Trianon through the gardens after getting lost. They even implied that they had traveled back in time or had been haunted when they claimed to have encountered Marie Antoinette.

Although the Moberly-Jourdain incident is still one of the most well-known supernatural urban legends, there was the enigmatic case of the Spanish soldier Gil Pérez who is said to have teleported from Manila to Mexico in the 16th century years before.

gil perez weekly recess 1
Photo Credit: Wikipedia common

Gil Pérez served as a soldier for Spain in the early days of its administration of the Philippines. He served as a palace guard for the Gobernador-General as a member of the Guardia Civil. However, during a voyage to the Moluccas in October 1593, Chinese pirates assassinated the seventh governor-general, Gómez Pérez Dasmarias. Given that Dasmarias hadn’t chosen a successor and that there were several eminent Spaniards vying for the position, the time following his death was quite hectic.

During the early years of Spain’s rule in the Philippines, Gil Pérez served as a soldier. He was a guard for the Gobernador-palace General’s and a member of the Guardia Civil. However, on one occasion in October 1593, Chinese pirates killed the seventh governor-general Gómez Pérez Dasmarias while they were on an expedition in the Moluccas. When Dasmarias passed away, there was a lot of competition for the position among several well-known Spaniards because he hadn’t chosen a successor.

Pérez was reportedly guarding the palace when he reportedly started to feel faint and exhausted due to the tense circumstances. He then rested his head against the wall and fell asleep for a brief period of time. However, when he opened his eyes, he was shocked to discover that he had moved to a completely different location. He was told that he was in Mexico City’s Plaza Mayor (now known as the Zocalo) when he asked a passerby where he was. Guards in New Spain soon learned about Pérez because of his assertions and his peculiar Manila uniform. He was presented to the authorities, including Viceroy Luis de Velasco of New Spain, whose palace was where he was transported to.

Despite their understandable shock, Pérez was able to provide them with thorough answers to all of their questions, including the assassination of Dasmarias, which would not be proven for months because it had only occurred the night before. The Viceroy appreciated Pérez’s justifications, but it was only a matter of time before religious authorities got involved. He was given to the Holy Office of the Inquisition, also called the Spanish Inquisition, for additional interrogation. He was transported from Mexico to Santo Domingo in the Caribbean and imprisoned for leaving and being a “servant of the devil.”

gil perez weekly recess 2
Photo Credit: Wikipedia common

Pérez, a devoted and decorated soldier, handled everything well and cooperated with the law. It was even claimed that he chose prison over battling the Philippines’ jungle men. He was ultimately discovered to be a devoted Christian, and because of this discovery and his good behavior, he was never charged with any crimes. However, because the situation was so unusual, the authorities were at a loss for what to do and kept him behind bars until they made a firm decision.

When a Spanish galleon finally made its way to Acapulco, it was revealed that Pérez’s allegations about the Gobernador-General were accurate. Some of the passengers even recognized him as a palace guard when he was returned to Mexico. He was subsequently released and sent back to Manila on the following ship.

gil perez weekly recess 3
Photo Credit: Wikipedia common

The tale of Pérez has since gained notoriety. The American folklorist Thomas Allibone Janvier, Washington Irving, Luis González Obregón, Gaspar de San Agustn, Antonio de Morga, and even José Rizal have all written books and stories about it.

Although the story may seem unbelievable, people are still attempting to explain it centuries later. Perhaps a trip to Intramuros’ Palacio del Gobernador, where the Gobernador-former General’s residence during the Spanish colonial period once stood, will do for the time being.

Similar Stories
Medals of Friendship: The Enduring Olympic Story of 1936

Medals of Friendship: The Enduring Olympic Story of 1936

At the 1936 Summer Olympics, two Japanese pole vaulters named Sueo Oe and Shuhei Nishida tied for second, but they declined to compete against each other. As a result, Nishida was awarded the silver medal and Oe won a bronze medal. Upon returning to Japan, the athletes had their medals cut in half and spliced together to create new "friendship medals," which were half silver and half bronze.

The History Behind the “No One Dies Alone” Program

The History Behind the “No One Dies Alone” Program

In 1986, while doing a night shift at the hospital, Sandra Clarke, a registered nurse, was asked by an elderly patient to stay. She promised to be back after checking on her other patients, but by the time she returned, the gentleman had passed away. Clarke became one of the key figures in launching No One Dies Alone, a program that allows volunteers to sit with terminal patients who have no one else.

Keith Sapsford: The Story of 14-Year-Old Stowaway

Keith Sapsford: The Story of 14-Year-Old Stowaway

The final image of 14-year-old Australian Keith Sapsford, who aspired to travel the world. In February 1970, he sneaked into the wheel-well of a plane flying from Sydney to Tokyo. It opened mid-air & fell out. When a photographer was testing a new lens, he captured this moment on film and was surprised when it developed.

What Was the Beast of Gévaudan?

What Was the Beast of Gévaudan?

Between 1764 and 1767, a mysterious animal called the Beast of Gévaudan terrorized the French village called Gévaudan. It attacked and killed about 100 adults and children. While most believe it was a wolf, some say it may have been a wolf-dog hybrid, hyena or even a lion, but without any genetic evidence, the beast will remain a mystery forever.

The Forgotten Story of Semipalatinsk and the Soviet Nuclear Experiments

The Forgotten Story of Semipalatinsk and the Soviet Nuclear Experiments

Between 1949 and 1989, the Semipalatinsk Test Site in Kazakhstan became the primary location for Soviet nuclear weapons tests, exposing millions of unsuspecting villagers to radioactive fallout. Known as the “Polygon of Suffering,” this remote desert witnessed 456 nuclear detonations that caused widespread health crises, birth defects, and generational genetic damage. This article narrates the chilling legacy of Semipalatinsk, unveiling the human cost of Cold War arms development and the ongoing struggle for healing and recognition in Kazakhstan.

how Ferris wheel invented

how Ferris wheel invented

In 1891, Chicago challenged engineers to create a structure to surpass the Eiffel Tower for the World's Columbian Exposition. George Washington Gale Ferris jr. responded with the original Ferris Wheel, a giant rotating structure elevating visitors above the city. This invention became an iconic attraction at the fair.

How Sleep Deprivation Was Once Used as Torture

How Sleep Deprivation Was Once Used as Torture

Sleep deprivation, long before modern interrogation techniques, was considered a “clean” and effective form of torture—leaving no physical scars, yet breaking minds with haunting silence. Victims endured days and nights without rest, leading to vivid hallucinations, disorientation, and psychological torment. This article traces the dark history of sleep deprivation as a weapon, examines the science behind its effects on the brain, and shines a light on the painful balance between human endurance and cruelty in the annals of coercion.

Nathan's Famous Doctor Stunt

Nathan's Famous Doctor Stunt

When Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs first opened in 1916, the owner hired people to dress as doctors and eat hot dogs outside his shop, to convince people his hot dogs were healthy.

Before Radar: How Giant Acoustic Mirrors Detected Enemy Aircraft in WWI and WWII

Before Radar: How Giant Acoustic Mirrors Detected Enemy Aircraft in WWI and WWII

Long before radar revolutionized air defense, enormous acoustic mirrors and specialized sound locators stood as the first line of defense against enemy aircraft. Designed as giant “ears,” these structures amplified distant engine noises, allowing operators to detect incoming planes by sound alone. Dive into the intriguing world of these pioneering listening devices, their operation, limitations, and enduring legacy in military history.