De Guzman’s dream: Touch screen mobile phone

MANILA, Philippines — Before 14-year-old Reynaldo “Kulot” de Guzman was found dead with at least 26 stab wounds in a creek in Gapan, Nueva Ecija, the grade five pupil was working hard to fulfill one of his dreams: to buy a touch screen cell phone, even the cheapest one. 

Edmund de Guzman, 17, told The STAR that his slain younger brother was working after school and on weekends as a construction worker, delivery boy and assistant fish vendor. 

“Nag-iipon siya kasi bibili siya ng cell phone. Gusto niya po talaga bumili ng cell phone at hindi na nga siya makatulog sa pera niya dahil gusto niya talagang bumili ng cell phone na kahit ano basta touch screen (He was saving money to buy a cell phone. He really wanted to buy a cell phone and he cannot even sleep because of his money because he really wanted to have a cell phone, any model as long as it is touch screen),” said 12-year-old MJ Balaong, one of Reynaldo’s close friends.

Balaong said Reynaldo was also working hard to help his family buy food.

Grieving father Eduardo yesterday told reporters that his family will pursue the suspects through the Public Attorney’s Office.

Eduardo also appealed to President Duterte to give justice to the death of his son. He said that they will seek a meeting with Duterte for quick solution of the case. 

“Mga hayop kayo, hindi kayo tao. Mga demonyo kayo. Katorse anyos, ginanun niyo? Mga wala kayong awa. Mangyayari din yan sa mga anak niyo (You are animals, you are not human. You are demons. How come you did that to a 14 years old? You have no mercy. It will also happen to your children),” Eduardo added.

The body of De Guzman was transferred yesterday afternoon to Barangay San Andres, Cainta, Rizal from Nueva Ecija. His body arrived past 5 p.m. His neighbors were waiting for his arrival.  

De Guzman’s wake is in a room at the back of a basketball court near the barangay hall in San Andres, Anakpawis 2 in Cainta.

Balaong recalled that the last time he saw Reynaldo was a few hours after they worked in a construction site with another friend last August. Reynaldo went missing the next day. 

In a radio interview, Reynaldo’s mother Lina said that Balaong was the one who informed her that her son accompanied Carl Angelo Arnaiz, the UP student who was killed by Caloocan police.

“His friend (Balaong) told me that they would go to Taytay (in Rizal), they would stage a holdup there,” she said in Filipino.

Quoting Balaong, Lina said that her son and Arnaiz allegedly brought a hammer and a knife to hold up a taxi driver in Taytay. 

But Balaong denied that he told Lina that her son and Arnaiz were planning to rob a taxi driver, saying he was not even aware of Reynaldo’s whereabouts when he went missing. 

“Araw-araw po akong tinatanong ng mga magulang tungkol kay Kulot, pero paulit-ulit ko po sinasabing wala po akong alam (Every day his parents asked me about Kulot, but I kept telling them that I did not know anything),” Balaong said. 

Balaong also admitted that he now fears for his life because he was dragged into the murder of Reynaldo.

Reynaldo’s friends are also mourning his death as they recall how thoughtful and caring he was.

Jonard Molinao, 17, said Reynaldo gave him a pair of earrings a few months ago as a sign of their friendship, and sometimes he also gave him food and money whenever he was short on funds.

“Napapaiyak ako tuwing nagku-kwento ako sa kaniya kasi mabait na kaibigan yun. Mapagmahal at mapagbigay na kaibigan kasi iyon. Walang puso ang gumawa noon sa kaniya (I cry whenever I talk about him because he was a good friend. whoever did this to him is heartless),” Molinao told reporters.