Aswang: The Tiniente Gimo Story

It happened in the town of Dueas, Iloilo. Theres this guy they called Tiniente Gimo (Lieutenant
Gimo). He was addressed as Tiniente (Lieutenant) because hes some sort of a captain (a chief) of a
baranggay (Barangay, is native term for a village) of the said town. It was all also said that hes also referred
Tiniente because hes also a chief of his clan, a clan of aswangs.

One of her daughters whos studying in the city decided to invite her friends to come over her place in
Dueas because theyre celebrating a fiesta (also a spanish influenced custom). Two of her friends accepted
the invitation and they went on the eve of the fiesta.

They were greeted with enthusiasm and all by Tiniente Gimo and some other relatives. They were fed
and entertained. As soon as the night go deeper, they decided to sleep in the room of Gimos daughter while
the others are still busy preparing the food for the next day. They all agreed to sleep on the mats on the floor
since theres no bigger bed to accommodate them.

One of their guest, we will name Juana, seem cant shake off the feeling of being uncomfortable. We
usually refer it in Filipino as namamahay or in Ilonggo as gapangbalay, which is when your body and mind
are still in the process of adjusting to a new environment and thus cannot perform a certain routine,
especially sleeping. It is what prevented Juana from sleep.

She decided to peek from a window and noticed that there are more people coming in, the noise just
gets louder and louder with small laughter and soft giggles. The men were drinking while some women busy
chopping some vegetables. There also some children there too. In the middle of the circle outside, she also
noticed this unusually big cauldron. She thought, If theyre really going to cook something, it should be
bigger than chicken or goat.

Just then, Juana heard Teniente Gimos voice just on the other side of the wall, talking to another
person.

So which one is it? the person asked.

The one in the middle and the other ones on the right, Teniente Gimo said.
Okay. Ill bring three or four along in case theres a struggle.
Lets just hit her on the head. Keep her quiet that way.
True.
And bring the sack to carry her with. Well take care of the other one.

She was shocked and filled with fear. The cauldron she saw in the middle was actually going to be
used for her and her friend. Theyre planning on how to butcher her and her other friend.

Her own survival instinct kicks in. She debated for a while on whether to wake up her friend or not
but the men were coming up the stairs and if her friend woke up suddenly, theres no telling what she would
say or do. They could both be in bad trouble if she delayed for another second.

Juana hurried back to the sleeping girls on the floor, pushed Gimos daughter towards the middle, lay
on the girls right and covered everyones head with the wide blanket. That way, the heads were hidden
underneath. She tried to calm herself to prevent from shaking. Soon the door opened slowly and noiselessly.

She didnt know how many men came for Teniente Gimos daughter that night. All she felt and heard
were soft footsteps, a few whispers and a loud thud as they hit the young girl on the head. They were very
quiet, as if they were used to doing what they did. They didnt even wake up her friend, who was sleeping so
soundly just an arms length away. Teniente Gimos daughter lay moaning next to her.

They quickly wrapped the bleeding girl with the blanket and took her downstairs.

After the men had left the room, Juana got up, tried to wake her friend for the last time, failed and
decided to go alone. She opened the window across the one facing the clearing where they were presently
beating the body inside the sack and carefully but fearfully climbed down.

As soon as her bare feet touched solid ground, Juana began to run. She didnt care where she was
passing through all she knew was that the main road was in that direction. She hadnt gotten far when she
heard shouts and screams from the group. They had opened the sack and found out the terrible mistake
they made.

Enraged, Teniente Gimo cried for everyone to check the house, find the girl, she who was supposed to
be in the middle, she who was supposed to be in the sack, she who was supposed to be the one they should
be prepping tonight, she whose throat they should have slit.

Behind her, Juana heard the commotion and simply assumed that people were now climbing the
stairs, opening the door to the daughters room and finding that only one was left behind and the other had
run away. It would only be a matter of time before they found out where she was headed. So she kept on
running over the grass, the rocks, the pebbles that cut her feet, the sharp thorns of the shrubs and the slimy
dead things underneath her.

But those who were in pursuit of her were men grown men, taller than her, with longer legs, with
great strength. As the men with the torches began to gain on her, Juana felt panic rise from her legs to her
heart, threatening to turn her legs to stone. She could never outrun these people and if she could hide,
where? They knew the area better than her.

Then she saw a tree. It was tall enough but not so tall that she couldnt climb it and it looked strong,
with a thick truck and even thicker leaves. She had no memory of how she managed to climb the tree that
night but there she cowered, shaking, mouthing prayers for the Virgin to protect her, to please not let them
see her, hear her and smell her.

The voices grew nearer and so did the footfalls. Not only the men came in pursuit. There were a few
women as well, some of them holding torches, some gripping a thick tree branch and others, still holding on
to the knives they used to cut the onions and the tomatoes. Light from the torches illuminated the branches
and the leaves of the tree as the mob passed underneath her. If one of them ever looked up

No one did. The crowd of angry men and women who tried to come after her came and went. They
cant see her. A few hours later, which seemed an eternity to Juana, they came back again, walking this time,
tired and hungry, their torches fading but they came a few feet away now, no one passed under Juanas tree.

Although the crowd had gone, Juana stayed hidden in the tree. She waited for the morning breaks and
very carefully, painfully climbed down. No one was in sight and she was too far away to actually hear
anything from where Teniente Gimos hut. Besides, it was morning and if they did party on last night, they
would be too full and tired to give care. Juana brushed the thought of her other friend, the one she left
behind, away and began to run again, towards the main road.
 I no longer remember how Juana got help. Maybe she stopped a passing bus or jeepney or maybe a
person with a good soul came across the fearful girl with the wild eyes. But she did get help and she did find
her way home, safe and alive. She never went back to the town of Dueas.

As for Teniente Gimo and his clan of aswangs, it is said that the incident devastated him. It was his
own beloved daughter after all. They packed up and abandoned their home and moved someplace else.
Where he and his family are now is only whispered about and whether they are still hunting and luring
human prey, it can only be guessed at.

Now, if you believe the story, whatever. Im not saying that its true. Ive heard that the aswang stories
of Tiniente Gimo was made up by one of his envious enemies. They created some sort of a bad reputation to
bring him down. Its a Filipino trait, you know. There was a story Ive read that there was a body of a boy
mutilated found under his hut and he was accused of it. Some say it was a set up. Well, if you asked me I
would think so too. I mean, why the hell would he put a dead body under his hut if he really did killed the
boy. Anyway, Im not sure if they guy really existed. Whatevers the case, Im just sharing one of my
childhood stories.