CEBU CITY, Philippines – In her second day of testimony, complainant Angela Leyson  faced questions over inconsistencies in her two affidavits filed following her alleged kidnapping in July 2017. (READ: Best friend of missing Bohol mayor testifies in kidnapping case)

Leyson was cross-examined by Innocencio Dela Serna, a lawyer for the defense.

Former Bohol Provincial Board Member Niño Rey Boniel and his companions are accused of kidnapping Leyson. 

Aside from this case, Niño is also facing charges of murdering his wife, missing Bien Unido, Bohol, mayor Gisela Bendong-Boniel. The parricide case is also pending in court.

Leyson is the best friend and executive assistant of Gisela, who was a commercial pilot before becoming mayor.

In her previous testimony, Leyson said she and Gisela were together when 6 armed men entered their room at Dive Camp Resort in Bien Unido town in June 6, 2017. Leyson said Niño Rey was among their abductors that day.

She said she and Gisela earlier planned to leave for Cebu, but were prevailed upon to stay in Bohol by an associate of Niño Rey.

Leyson said she and her son Moises, who in a different room in the resort, were brought by their abductors to a pier in Tubigon town after the alleged detention. Meanwhile, Gisela was taken away separately and never found again.

De La Serna, who was representing Niño Rey’s co-defendants Restituto Magoncia and Wilfredo Hoylar, pointed out inconsistencies in the first affidavit filed by Leyson following the incident.

Among the supposed inconsistencies was that Leyson said in her previous testimony that she was “trying to sleep” when the masked men entered their room in the Dive Camp resort. In her affidavit she said she was already sleeping.

Another was that Leyson testified that she took a taxi upon arriving in Cebu to go to an internet shop in Colon Street where she contacted her friend. In her affidavit Leyson stated that she took two jeepney rides.

“This not only calls into question her testimony, but the entire complaint,” Dela Cerna told reporters after the hearing. Leyson herself admitted incorrect details filed in her first affidavit for “essence of time” or that she was in a rush to complete the affidavit so she could file the case right away.

Department of Justice Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon conducted the direct examination for the prosecution.

While Dela Cerna’s cross examination may have cast doubt on Leyson’s account of events, Fadullon was confident the inconsistencies would be explained at the next hearing scheduled for the end of the month.

The case being tried before Judge Jose Nathaniel Andal of the Cebu City Regional Trial Court Branch 22 was for kidnapping and serious illegal detention.

The parricide case – which was initially dropped in 2018 but refiled against after public outcry – against Niño Rey is being tried separately in a Lapu-Lapu City court. – Rappler.com