COURT DEFERS RE-ARRAIGNMENT OF SUSPECTS IN BONIEL CASE
The Regional Trial Court (RTC) has moved the re-arraignment of Riolito ‘Etad’ Boniel and Randel Lupas for kidnapping and serious illegal detention, instead of yesterday to October, pending resolution of the motions filed.
Lawyer Sunshine Enriquez, one of the legal counsels of complainants Angela Leyson and her minor son, said Judge Jose Nathaniel Andal of RTC Branch 22 moved the arraignment and pre-trial not just of Boniel and Lupas, but also of Wilfredo Hoylar and Restituto Magoncia, to October 10.
The four suspects with former Board member Niño Rey Boniel were charged with kidnapping and serious illegal detention for allegedly depriving the liberty of Leyson and her son.
Leyson and her son were with former Bien Unido mayor Gisela Boniel before she was allegedly killed on June 7, 2017.
Gisela was allegedly shot in the head and her body was thrown into the seawaters between Caubian Island and Olango Island in Lapu-Lapu City.
Enriquez said Niño Rey was already arraigned before the RTC in Bohol, where the case was first filed, before it was transferred to RTC Branch 7 in Cebu City.
Niño Rey entered a plea of not guilty.
At RTC Branch 7, Riolito and Lupas entered their plea of not guilty.
Enriquez said the plea of Riolito and Lupas were invalid because RTC Branch 7, a regular court, has no jurisdiction over the cases since one of the complainants is a minor.
The cases are now at RTC Branch 22, a family court.
Re-arraignment is a proper thing to do, she said.
However, the supposed re-arraignment was opposed by the other party, citing Riolito and Lupas were already arraigned.
Enriquez said their camp stood firm that Riolito and Lupas’ pleas were invalid.
Enriquez said their camp filed a motion to discharge Riolito and Randel to become state witnesses to help the prosecution obtain conviction.
Aside from their motion, Enriquez said, Hoylar and Magoncia, through their counsel also have a pending motion to quash information filed before RTC Branch 22.
Mylen P. Manto/MBG