Gisela’s friend takes witness stand: ‘Niño Rey among culprits’

CEBU, Philippines — The best friend of slain Bien Unido mayor Gisela Boniel took the witness stand yesterday to point to the victim’s husband as among the men who barged into the room and detained them.

With Department of Justice Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon conducting the direct examination, an emotional Angela Leyson, Gisela’s best friend, pointed to former Bohol Provincial Board Member Niño Rey Boniel as one of the six armed men who barged into their resort's room in the midnight of June 7, 2017 at the Diving Camp Resort in Bien Unido, Bohol.

Prior to the June 7 accident, Leyson said that she accompanied her best friend at the Tagbilaran's Prosecutor's Office for the cyberlibel hearing on June 6 that Gisela has filed.

Leyson said that, aside from her, Bien Unido's Tourism Officer Wilson Hoylar, the mayor's executive secretary Bryan Sayson and her 17-year-old son joined the victim in the hearing.

After the hearing, they proceeded to the Commission on Audit in Tagbilaran City inquiring the deficit of Bien Unido then proceeded to a restaurant for a late lunch.

This time, Hoylar no longer accompany them.

Leyson testified that the mayor, her son and herself have no intention to stay overnight in Bohol at that time as they have other transaction in Cebu City on that day.

However, Hoylar called up the mayor to immediately proceed to Bien Unido as she needs to sign important documents.

This irritated the mayor and her as the travel from Tagbilaran City to Bien Unido would take about two hours. But they still proceeded to Bien Unido, nonetheless.

At around 8pm, Sayson told the mayor that there are no more people at the municipal hall and told the mayor to just proceed to the Dive Camp Resort where the documents will just be brought the following day.

Leyson said that, at the resort, she and Gisela stayed at Room 10 while his son and Sayson stayed at Room 5.

At around 1am of June 7, 2017, Leyson said that she heard someone knocking at their room's door then somebody went in and turned off the light although the light from the comfort room was on and the door was half open.

She said six armed men went inside the room including the husband of the mayor, who went straight to Gisela to grab the victim’s hair and punch her.

As this happened to Gisela, Leyson said that somebody grabbed her from the bed and slammed her on the floor with her head facing the direction of Gisela's bed.

Leyson said half of her face was tied with a duct tape and her hands were handcuffed.

"Tinadyakan ako sa may right side of my face and I lost consciousness," said Leyson.

Before she lost consciousness, Leyson said that she heard Gisela's husband telling "gipakaulawan ko nimo. Nanlaki pa gyud ka" and Gisela further said to his husband, "Ayaw In, ayaw In."

In-In, according to Leyson, is the nickname of Niño Rey.

Fadullon then asked Leyson if she can identify or pinpoint Niño Rey if he is inside the courtroom, which she did.

Niño Rey was inside the courtroom wearing an orange prison uniform.

She said that when she regained her consciousness at around 3 a.m., she was still inside the resort's room and two men assisted her to get up and dress up.

She said that she was brought to a car while the duct tape was still tied half of her face. It was only removed when her son was already beside her.

"When I woke up, I do not know anymore where (was) Gisela," said Leyson.

Leyson’s direct testimony will continue on August 8.

Gisela's husband has a separate parricide pending before the Lapu-Lapu City RTC, after the latter was implicated as the mastermind behind her death. — GAN (FREEMAN)