Bohol provincial board member accused of “kidnapping” his wife

Authorities are now looking for Mayor Gisela Bendong-Boniel of Bien Unido town who cannot be found following an argument with her husband, Board Member Niño Rey Boniel who is now in police custody. (CONTRIBUTED)

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol- Where is Mayor Gisela Bendong-Boniel of Bien Unido town?

Her husband, Provincial Board Member Niño Rey Boniel, was arrested on Wednesday night on suspicion that he kidnapped his own wife.

Senior Supt. Jonathan Cabal, head of the Regional Intelligence Division (RID), said the mayor was taken into custody based on the complaints of the mayor’s relatives.

Niño was brought to RID inside Camp Sergio Osmena, headquarters of Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) in Cebu City, to be investigated.

Witnesses said that on Wednesday afternoon, Gisela and her two friends were at the Bien Unido Double Barrier Reef Dive Camp when Niño arrived.

“There was a heated argument between the couple,” said a witness.

Gisela’s friends went to Cebu through the port of Tubigon town on Wednesday.

Gisela left and her friends said they have not heard from her since.

Since the mayor could not be contacted, her family decided to go to the police.

A friend of Gisela reached her on her mobile phone about 11 p.m. on Wednesday.

The mayor was sobbing as she assured her friend that she was fine.

“I am fine. I don’t want to talk about it,” the friend quoted the mayor as saying.

Before her argument with her husband, Gisela just came from Singapore.

Witnesses said that the couple’s relationship turned sour in December last year.

“We thought it’s normal for couple,” said a witness.

Niño was also angry when he learned that his wife loaned a P2.5 million worth of watch.

Gisela was elected mayor in May 2016, replacing her husband who won as board member for the second district of Bohol.

She is a pilot of Air Asia.

Authorities are now looking for the mayor who, according to her friends, may just be “ventilating.”