CASE FILED V. HUSBAND
BOHOL PB MEMBER FACES PARRICIDE
4 others face case along with Provincial Board Member Niño Rey Boniel in Lapu-Lapu City New witness: dive shop watchman says he saw Boniel arrive past midnight last June 7 Still no sign of Bien Unido, Bohol Mayor Gisela Boniel’s body; 4 other suspects still at large
Six days after Bien Unido, Bohol Mayor Gisela Boniel was allegedly killed and dump in waters around Caubian Island, Lapu-Lapu City, five men, including Gisela's husband Bohol Provincial Board Member Niño Rey Boniel, were charged with parricide yesterday.
It took more than two hours for the three prosecutors to complete the inquest after the legal counsel of the respondents raised objections over the jurisdiction of the case and concerns on their arrest.
Senior Supt. Jonathan Cabal, Regional Intelligence Division 7 chief, led the filing of the case past 2 p.m. at the Lapu-Lapu City Hall of Justice.
Personnel of the Police Regional Office 7 and Bien Unido Police Station escorted Niño and his alleged cohorts Riolito “Etad” Boniel, Randel Lupas, Willy Hoylar and Restituto Magoncia Jr.
Lubo Boniel, Allan delos Reyes Jr., Wilson Hoylar and Brian Boniel Saycon were also charged with parricide, but they are all at large.
Niño's legal counsels are Attorneys Romero Boniel, Gerardo Carillo and Leilani Villarino.
Gisela was with her best friend, Angela Leyson, and the latter's son in a dive camp in Bien Unido when Niño and his men allegedly barged into their room last June 7.
Leyson and her son were re- leased, but Gisela was allegedly brought on board a pump boat, where she was allegedly shot.
She was dumped overboard, her body wrapped with a fish net and weighed down by stones.
Cabal said that Niño is their main suspect, but since there was an act of conspiracy, his companions were also charged with parricide.
“I have a recording of what the board member said... He confessed to the crime. He confessed that they killed the mayor,” he said.
Assistant City Prosecutor Jude Henritz Ycong, Assistant City Prosecutor Sheilamar Abadia and Prosecution Attorney Francis Ian Birondo handled the inquest.
Atty. Lani Pangilinan, Leyson's legal counsel, moved for the suspension of the proceeding so prosecutors can discuss the objection over the jurisdiction of the case.
Abadia told reporters that based on the testimony of the “witnesses, the crime of parricide actually happened between the islands of Olango and Caubian.” She said “that is clearly within Lapu-Lapu waters.”
She also said they “primarily” considered the fact that there was a warrantless arrest in relation to the parricide case.
“But our ruling or resolution will still be subject to the approval of the city prosecutor's of course,” she said.
Niño, Hoylar and Magoncia, who were assisted by lawyers Gerardo Carillo and Renato Galleon, signed a waiver of detention.
Abadia said the legal counsel assisting Riolito and Lupas will inform them today if the two will sign the same waiver.
Riolito, who claimed to be the pump boat operator, and Lupas, Niño's driver, will be considered as state witnesses.
Niño said it was Riolito, who shot Gisela, but the latter said it was the other way around.
“For you to be considered as state witness, you should be charged as well, but the court must determine that he is the least guilty among the conspirators,” Cabal said.