Governor Edgar Chatto assured the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 that the provincial government of Bohol will continue to extend aid in the search and retrieval of the remains of Mayor Gisela Boniel.

Chatto, during his weekly press briefing on Friday, said that Capitol is ready to provide additional funds should the police file a formal request for financial assistance in the search operation.

Several local government units including that of Bien Unido and Lapu-Lapu City have partly funded the search after Boniel was allegedly killed and dumped in waters off Caubian Island early in June by her husband Niño Rey.

The provincial government of Bohol and the League of Municipalities Philippines (LMP) in the province have also contributed amounts to sustain the over month-long underwater search which started right after reports on Gisela’s killing surfaced on June 7.

For his part, P/Supt. Jonathan Cabal, chief of the Regional Intelligence Division, had earlier noted that around P2 million is needed to acquire equipment essential in boosting the police’s search capabilities.

The modern gear required by technical divers would allow them to scour deeper segments of the purported drop site of the mayor’s body, said Cabal.

Some areas surrounding the drop zone are around 1,400 feet deep, while divers have only previously reached depths of 200 feet, said Cabal.

However, the police intelligence officer still expressed optimism that Gisela’s remains will be found even amid uncertainty in the resumption of the search and retrieval operations.

Cabal also aired his appeal for assistance from the national government requesting for additional support to boost the PRO-7’s response capabilities in times of seaborne emergencies and accidents. (R. Tutas)