MANILA, Philippines — The mother of Reynaldo de Guzman, the 14-year-old missing boy who was last seen with 19-year-old former University of the Philippines student Carl Angelo Arnaiz last August 17, thinks her son is still alive and is urging those who know his whereabouts to lead her to him.
But Lina Gabriel thinks that somebody is holding her son against his will and thus he’s still not showing up until now, 19 days since De Guzman was seen with Arnaiz, whose remains were found by his parents at a morgue in Caloocan City last August 28.
“‘Yon nga po ang kutob ko. Buhay pa ang bata, kaya lang iniipit,” Gabriel said in an interview with dzMM radio on Monday, Sept. 5.
Gabriel said she had looked for De Guzman in various places but still didn’t find her son.
She said she had search for him in the same morgue where Arnaiz’s body was brought after he was killed allegedly in an August 18 shootout with the police along C-3 Road in Caloocan. She also looked for him in Cainta and Antipolo City and also Arnaiz’s mother, Eva, looked for Reynaldo in Taytay, Rizal.
Gabriel said she had also asked the police but didn’t get any information about De Guzman’s whereabouts.
“Pati sa police wala rin po,” she said.
Gabriel said she was told by the friends of her son that they saw De Guzman went out with Arnaiz around 1 a.m. of August 17 to buy food.
She said De Guzman, a Grade 5 pupil at Maybunga Elementary School in Pasig City, was eating in their house around 10 p.m. of August 16 when he suddenly disappeared after running and saying that he would get his clothes and slippers.
“Bale umalis po sa bahay, 10 p.m., kumakain, biglang tumakbo. Sabi kukunin lang ‘yong damit at tsinelas tapos biglang nawala,” said Gabriel.
De Guzman’s mother appealed to those who might know his son’s whereabouts to help him return home and end their family’s problem
“Sana po kung may nakakakilala po sa anak ko…eh sana po makauwi na po ngayon, makapiling ko man lang po para matapos na po ang problemang ito sa paghahanap sa kanya,” said Gabriel.
Gabriel also appealed to her son — if he is watching television now and seeing her crying — to go home.
“Anak, kung ikaw man ay nakikita mo ang sarili mo sa television at ako nando’n din, nakikita mong naghihirap ng kahahanap sa’yo, nakikita mo rin ako sa television na ummiiyak, sana umuwi ka na.”
But she advised De Guzman to be cautious and ensure his safety by trying to get help from the media.
“Kung saan ka man nando’n, kung sinuman ang taong humahawak sa’yo, huwag kang biglang uuwi, hayaan mo na umano sayo ang mga media para makauwi ka ng buhay dito.”
Gabriel said De Guzman had a mobile phone but she didn’t know its number.
