The Bohol provincial government on Tuesday extended P100,000 in financial support to the ongoing search for the remains of Bien Unido Mayor Gisela Boniel who is believed to have been shot dead and thrown in waters off Caubian Island, Lapu-Lapu City last week.

The amount was ordered released by Gov. Edgar Chatto and coursed through the office of Chief Supt. Noli Taliño, director of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 which has been overseeing the search and retrieval operations for Boniel’s body.

Chatto also acknowledged the efforts of Mayor Paz Radaza of Lapu-Lapu City in sustaining the search which started on Thursday afternoon last week.

For its part, the League of Municipalities (LMP) Bohol offered P50,000 as contribution to the ongoing recovery operations for the remains of its presumed slain member.

LMP president Clarin Mayor Allen Ray Piezas personally handed over the amount this morning to the office of the PRO-7 in Cebu City.

Earlier, the local government unit (LGU) of Bien Unido had also released a P-100,000 fund for the same purpose.

The LGU, which is now led by acting Mayor Rene Borenaga who took over as the town’s chief executive on Tuesday, also sent pumpboats and divers as additional contribution to the search efforts.

Authorities have been focusing retrieval operations in waters off Lapu-Lapu City based on a statement made by Riolito “Etad” Boniel, one of the suspects detained for the alleged killing of Gisela.

Rioito had claimed that he was the pumpboat operator when Gisela was shot dead and dumped into the sea last week. (Rey Tutas and Allen Doydora)