Reolito regrets serving cousin after Pa’s death

Witness Reolito Boniel promises not to recant his statements against his cousin and boss, PB Member Niño Boniel.
CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA

Witness tags depression, alleged pressure from Niño’s camp as factors in Pa’s passing

For several years, Reolito “Etad” Boniel had been faithful to his cousin and boss, Bohol Provincial Board Member Niño Rey Boniel.
The last thing he knew was that Niño never really cared for him.

Not only was Reolito dragged by Niño into the death of the legislator’s wife, Mayor Gisela Boniel of Bien Unido town.

Reolito also lost his father Remigio early morning Saturday, three days after the latter suffered a massive heart attack due to depression and alleged pressure from Niño’s camp for his son to recant the testimonies against the board member.

“Dako kaayo ang akong kaguol. Nagmahay ko ni board. Nagtinarong ko og serbisyo niya unya mao ni iyang buhaton namo? (I am very sad. I regret having served the board member. I served him well and this is what he did to us?),” he said as tears welled up in his eyes in an interview yesterday.

Reolito, a sea patrol volunteer of Bien Unido in Bohol since 2004, was the primary witness in the killing of Gisela, whose body was purportedly thrown into the sea near Caubian Island in Lapu-Lapu City last June 7.

Reolito said his 67-year-old father, Remigio, was badly troubled by his involvement in the crime. Last June 21, Remigio suffered a heart attack and was rushed to the Don Emilio Del Valle Memorial Hospital in Ubay town, Bohol.

On Saturday dawn, at around 4 a.m., Remigio died.

Reolito didn’t know what hit him when he learned about his father’s death.

“Naguol pag-ayo ang akong amahan tungod sa nahitabo. Iyang gidibdib ang kaguol nga magsud-ong kanako. (My father was very sad because of what happened. He was really sad looking at me),” he said.

“Suko kaayo ang akong papa ni board. Nganong giamong-among man mi niya? Bata pa kaayo ang akong mga anak. Wala siya maluoy namo? (My father is very mad at Board Member Niño. Why did he include us? My kids are very young. Did he not pity us?),” he added.

After he was arrested last June 8, Reolito said his father told him that Niño’s camp offered to help them.

“Tagaan kuno ko og abogado. Pero wala ko mosugot kay naa naman koy abogado gikan sa pulis. (Niño offered to give me a lawyer. But I did not heed the offer because I already have a lawyer provided by the police),” he said.

Reolito told CDN that the legal counsel whom Niño’s camp wanted to give him was lawyer Renato Galeon, who is now representing two other respondents — Restituto Magoncia and Wilfredo Hoylar — who testified in favor of the board member.

Galeon facilitated the filing of a writ of habeas corpus, asking the court to release Magoncia and Hoylar. Judge Sylvia Aguirre-Paderanga of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 16 in Cebu City has yet to rule on the request.

Whatever happens, Reolito said he would never retract his testimonies against Niño whom he said killed Gisela.

“Mo-witness g’yud ko. Dili ko mo-atras. Dili ko mobakwi sa akong mga gipangsulti kay mao na ang matuod nga nahitabo. (I will really witness against Niño. I won’t back off. I will not retract the statements I made because I was simply narrating what really happened),” he said.

Contrary to the claims of Niño’s camp, Reolito said he was never coerced by the police to testify against the board member.

On Saturday afternoon, Reolito’s wife Joan and five children aged 17, 16, 14, 6, and 4 visited him at the Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG) office inside the PRO-7 headquarters in Cebu City.

Joan, who celebrated her birthday yesterday, begged off from giving any statement to the media.

Senior Supt. Jonathan Cabal of the Regional Intelligence Division said they would conduct an investigation to find out the circumstances surrounding Remigio’s death.

“What the camp of Board Member Niño is doing is too much. They are making false stories and perpetuating lies. And now the father of our witness who they reportedly coerced died,” Cabal said.

Lawyer Gerardo Carillo, the legal counsel of Niño, dismissed claims of Reolito that the latter’s father was pressured by the board member’s camp to help retract the witness’ testimonies.

“In the first place, his (Reolito) father came here during the inquest proceedings (last June 13). He wanted to talk to his son but Reolito refused to listen,” Carillo said.

“There was no pressure from us whatsoever. He (Remigio) died of heart attack. Why would then they blame us for it?,” he added.