Wednesday, August 31, 2005 (Philippines)

City Police Director Honorio Cervantes maps out the moves to be carried out by the explosives ordnance disposal (EOD) team at the XU engineering building, which was reported to contain a bomb Tuesday. (Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro/Joey Nacalaban) PRIVATE law practitioners and government officials in the region--among them a Cagayan de Oro City councilor--had been asking favors from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 10 to reduce the charges of some arrested drug suspects. The expose, however, was dismissed by a city official who said PDEA 10 Director Rene Obre "was just trying to deflect the real issue." [full story]