REOLITO BONIEL
THE two suspects who are vital witnesses in the parricide case against Bohol Provincial Board Member Niño Rey Boniel, who is the prime suspect in the killing of his wife Bien Unido Mayor Gisela Boniel, were turned over to the officials of the Witness Protection Program (WPP) Cebu yesterday.
“The Witness Protection Program Cebu director has told us to turn over the two witnesses in Boniel case to them for processing in WPP,” said Chief Supt. Jose Mario Espino, Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) director.
Randel Lupas and Reolito Boniel, who are also suspects but are considered vital witnesses by PRO-7 in the killing of Gisela, were turned over to Assistant Prosecutor Llena Ipong-Avila and Senior Assistant Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera of the Department of Justice (DOJ), who fetched the witnesses at the PRO-7 office.
Reolito and Lupas are two workers of Niño Rey Boniel and are among the eight persons, excluding Gisela’s husband Niño, who were charged with murder.
The other suspects were Edgar Tapere, Wilson Hoylar, Wilfredo Hoylar, Restituto Magoncia, Brian Sayson and Lobo Boniel.
Last June, PRO-7 endorsed the two men to be state witnesses under the WPP of the DOJ.
Randel Lupas
Starting yesterday, Reolito and Lupas are now under the custody of WPP Cebu.
However, Espino said that PRO-7 would still provide security for the two witnesses.
“But it is best interest that they will be taken out of PRO-7. They will be at a safehouse, we don’t know where,” Espino said.
Espino also lauded the WPP Cebu for their swift action on their request to have the two witnesses under their custody pending the approval of their inclusion in the WPP.
Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II has designated Avila and Navera as the trial prosecutors to handle the criminal case against Niño.
However, Avila and Navera have yet to meet with the Lapu-Lapu City prosecutor to decide if there is a need to consolidate cases against Niño.
A parricide case was filed against Niño while a murder case was filed against eight other suspects on the slay of Gisela.