During the early years of Spain's rule in the Philippines, Gil Pérez was a Spanish soldier. As a member of the Guardia Civil, he worked as a palace guard for the Gobernador-General. In October 1593, the seventh Gobernador-General Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas was killed by Chinese pirates during an expedition in the Moluccas. The death of Dasmariñas caused alarm. Because he hadn't chosen a replacement. Several leading Spaniards competed for replacements.

In this moment of tension and turmoil, Gil Pérez was on guard. He wore the Del Gobernador palace guard uniform. He leaned against the wall for a moment and slept for a few seconds. When he opened his eyes, he was in a different place. He immediately asked someone there where he was. It was in the Plaza Mayor (Zocalo) in Mexico City.

Soon after, the guards became aware of Gil Pérez and he was transferred to the palace for interrogation by the authorities. Gil Pérez said he didn't know how he got there. He said he was on watch at the palace a few minutes ago. He even said that General Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas had just been assassinated.

Gil Pérez was able to provide detailed answers to all questions asked. However, he was still handed over to the Spanish Holy Inquisition for further questioning. He was taken to Santo Domingo in the Caribbean and imprisoned for being a devil's servant.

Collaborating with the authorities, Gil Pérez said the Philippines would rather be imprisoned than fight jungle men. Eventually, it turned out that he was a devout Christian. He was not charged with any crime, but they did not know what to do in the face of this unprecedented situation, so they continued to keep him in prison until they made a final decision.

After a while, news came from the Philippines by ship. A Spanish galleon came to uncover the truth of Gil Pérez's claims regarding General Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas. Some travelers said they recognized him as a palace guard. With these rhetoric, Gil Pérez was released and sent back to Manila. Some eyewitnesses swore that Gil Pérez had seen him in the Philippines on October 23.

After his return, Gil Pérez continued to live without incident for the rest of his life.