Niño's brother, lawyer may face obstruction raps

From suspect to state witness, Edgar Tapere, the driver of Bohol Provincial Board Member Niño Rey Boniel, told authorities that Niño's camp had asked him not to surrender.

Police Regional Office 7 Director Noli Taliño said that they are confirming reports that Jay Boniel, Niño's older brother, and one of his lawyers, Atty. Gerardo Carillo, had asked Tapere to hide.

"We're sure that there are many people who want to talk to him but whatever he told us, then that's what we will divulge," Taliño said.

Regional Intelligence Division Chief Jonathan Cabal, in a dyLA radio interview, said that their legal team plan to file obstruction charges against Jay and Carillo.

According to Tapere the two men approached him before his name was revealed to the media, and offered to defend him as long as he “disappeared,” Cabal said in the report.

Carillo, for his part, denied the allegation.

"Let them (police) prove that. I only assisted my client and I never had the chance to talk to Tapere," he said.

Cabal said that before Niño left for Tubigon, Bohol, he gave Tapere P60,000 and told him to wire the money to Randel Lupas, Niño's driver in Bohol.

Lupas confirmed the transfer and said that he gave Willy Hoylar and a certain Junior P30,000 each.

Hoylar and Junior are still at large, Cabal said.

In a related development, Niño's paraffin test turned out negative of gunpowder residue.

He underwent the test several hours after his wife Bien Unido, Bohol Mayor Gisela Boniel was allegedly shot dead.

Taliño said that there are many factors that may have erased the residue from Niño's hands.

"The wind, while they were in the open sea, might have blown the gunpowder away from his hand and he may have washed it off in the sea because many hours passed before we arrested him," he said.

However, Taliño assured that the result will not affect their case against Niño, saying that it is airtight. /