Aguirre unaware Bohol murder suspect’s indictment voided

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Monday claimed he was unaware that one of his deputies had voided the indictment of Bohol Provincial Board Member Niño Rey Boniel for the murder of his wife, Gisela, the mayor of Bien Unido, Bohol.

Aguirre said Justice Undersecretary Reynante Orceo did not inform him that he had approved Boniel’s petition for review which challenged the resolution issued by a special panel of Department of Justice prosecutors that Aguirre himself had tasked to handle the case.

“I hope he (Orceo) will be able to explain to me what happened and whether (his decision) is correct or not,” Aguirre said.

Orceo ruled that the Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutor’s Office did not have jurisdiction to tackle the criminal complaint against Boniel and two of his coaccused, Willy Hoylar and Restituto Magoncia Jr., for the crime of kidnapping with murder that allegedly took place in June 2017.

Gisela’s body was said to have been dumped into the sea. Orceo was seemingly unaware that the Supreme Court had allowed the transfer of venue of the case from Bohol based on the request of Aguirre himself. —Marlon Ramos