Husband of slain Bohol mayor charged

Bohol Board Member Niño Rey Boniel (left) and two suspects in the murder of the official’s wife, Bien Unido Mayor Gisela Boniel, cover their faces as they appear in the Lapu-Lapu City prosecutor’s office during their inquest on Tuesday.
—JUNJIE MENDOZA/CEBU DAILY NEWS

LAPU-LAPU CITY—Parricide charges were filed on Tuesday against Bohol Board Member Niño Rey Boniel for allegedly killing his wife, Mayor Gisela Boniel of Bien Unido town, whose body had yet to
be found.

Wearing a jacket and a face mask, Niño was escorted by policemen to the Lapu-Lapu  City prosecutor’s office past
2 p.m. on Tuesday.

Also charged were Niño’s eight suspected cohorts—his cousin Riolito Boniel, driver Randel Lupas, Willy Hoylar, Wilson Hoylar, Restituto Magoncia Jr., Lobo Boniel, Allan delos Reyes Jr. and Brian Boniel Saycon.

Police have yet to arrest four suspects—Wilson Hoylar, Lobo Boniel, Delos Reyes and Saycon.

Riolito and Lupas have been endorsed by the police as state witnesses after they tagged
Niño as the one who killed Gisela and ordered her body be thrown into the sea between Cebu and Bohol provinces.

When presented to the panel of prosecutors, Niño, Willy and Magoncia agreed to undergo preliminary investigation. Riolito and Lupas had yet to decide whether to answer the accusations against them before the prosecutor.

Niño, Willy and Magoncia were given 10 days to submit their counteraffidavits.

Assistant prosecutors Jude Henritz Ycong, Shielamar Abadia and Francis Ian Birondo will determine whether to indict the respondents within 15 days.

“For now, what we have resolved is the validity if the warrantless arrest made on [Niño] for the case of parricide. If he wants to contest that, he can include it in his counteraffidavit and we will still look into that,” Abadia said.

Niño was accompanied by lawyers Leilani Villarino and Gerardo Carillo and Romero Boniel, an uncle.

During the inquest proceedings, Niño’s lawyers questioned his arrest without a warrant.

They filed a petition for habeas corpus at the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Bohol to challenge the board member’s arrest and continued detention.

Judge Marivic Trabajo-Daray of RTC Branch 52 in Talibon granted the petition on Friday last week and ordered the immediate release of Niño and Lupas. The judge noted the failure of the police to file the charges within the required period of 36 hours.

Policemen, however, refused to obey the court order, saying they filed the first set of complaint for kidnapping and serious illegal detention against Niño on time.

Cabal said Niño was rearrested on Friday night for the crime of parricide.