Defense lawyers’ ‘dirty tactics’

As I noted in my previous column, the defense lawyers of Bohol Provincial Board Member Niño Rey Boniel, who is accused of murdering his wife, Bien Unido Mayor Gisela Bendong-Boniel, are now trying to muddle the case. Their first move is to prevent the Lapu-Lapu City prosecutor’s office from filing the parricide case against Boniel and his cohorts before the court. If they fail on this, then they will prepare for a full-blown trial.

With all due respect to my friends in the legal profession, some lawyers do employ “dirty tactics,” including lying and using fake witnesses. Well, this is just natural. It is their profession. I am sure Boniel’s lawyers already know the truth, so they will now look for a good strategy to ensure their client can get away with the crime.

Maybe Boniel’s lawyers, including my friend, former city councilor Gerry Carillo, want a strategy that will best work while the parricide case is pending before the prosecutor’s office. And this will be based on the “story” of Boniel.

But we don’t know the story told by Boniel to his defense panel. Was it a confess story, meaning he admitted killing his wife? Was it complete denial, meaning he denied everything as charged? Or was it an admission and an explanation?

Consider this. Carillo now claims that Boniel’s cohorts who executed affidavits tagging him as the main culprit were forced or were coached by the police to admit their participation and tag Boniel as the mastermind. Carillo wants the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to investigate the matter.

He also claimed that Mayor Boniel is still alive because of a call to a friend in Bohol made via the mayor’s cellular phone hours after the killing. You see, these are tactics adopted by Boniel’s lawyers to muddle the issue or perhaps to gain public sympathy.

For those who don’t know Carillo, he is not good in court appearance. I doubt if he can argue well. His expertise is in “settling” cases. You can ask him about what he did to the case of a taxi driver who was mauled by US servicemen several years ago. You can also ask him about his own case when he was accused of hitting the head of a minor who created trouble at his resto bar when he was still a councilor. Siguro sa iyang attorney’s fee gikan ni Boniel, makabayad na siya sa iyang utang sa dyRC diin siya dunay political block time program sa niaging eleksyon.

Edgar Tapere, Boniel’s Cebu-based driver, surfaced the other day and told the police that Carillo convinced him to hide. He was forced to surrender after his name surfaced in the media. He revealed more information about Boniel when they were riding on a motorcycle from Punta Engaño to his residence in Guadalupe. Tapere’s revelation would corroborate those of the other witnesses.

As this developed, expect more surprises and legal maneuvers by Boniel so he can get away from this case.