There are at least two issues that can be gleaned in last week’s murder of Bien Unido Mayor Gisela Bendong-Boniel of Bohol province that need to be addressed if only to spare more people from becoming victims in the future.
The first and most obvious is for the government and its constituents to seriously consider whether or not to legalize divorce in the country. We understand that this is out of the question for the Catholic Church and Catholicism remains the dominant religion in this country.
We are perhaps one of the few remaining countries in the world that doesn’t allow couples to divorce, settling instead for separation or annulment which places a lot of restrictions and legal obstacles for couples who are instead given every chance to resolve their differences.
Based on the stories given by those close to Mayor Boniel and her husband, detained Bohol Provincial Board (PB) Member Niño Rey Boniel, including the victim’s best friend Angela Leyson, the couple had been living separately for months even if they tried to put a semblance of normalcy in public.
The mayor was even willing to resign and had already filed for annulment against her husband, who appeared unwilling to let go. Last Wednesday was the turning point, marking the beginning of the end for the mayor whose acceptance of a seemingly harmless invitation to spend an evening at an isolated resort in Bien Unido town, Bohol province, with Leyson and her son turned out to be her last.
Separation may be a temporary recourse for those willing to break off their ties with their spouses, but what if their exes are capable of violent reprisal? That category would likely fall into psychological incapacity, and it is still subject to assessment and court proceedings.
Surveys may indicate that public sentiment is open to considering divorce, and if the church has anything to say about it, then they should work harder to convince couples to stay and let the people decide for themselves if they will support a law allowing divorce.
The second issue has to do with the police considering a case “closed” if the alleged perpetrator of a crime, in this case PB Member Boniel, is arrested along with his alleged cohorts and locked behind bars.
The case against Boniel and his identified accomplices is far from closed or over as the police are now facing possible contempt charges for failing to produce one iota of evidence that would justify their detention of Boniel beyond the 36-hour reglementary period.
We hope the government can provide better lawyers for the police, and for the police to undergo better training on legal matters in order to bolster and build their case against suspects.
For now, though, we hope Mayor Boniel’s remains are fished out of the sea so the police can have the evidence they need to bring the perpetrators to justice.