Thursday, July 20, 2006 (Philippines)

Pharmaceutical products from Thailand, Initially valued at P6 million, were intercepted by NBI agents at the Mactan Cebu International Airport on suspicion of having been undeclared or misdeclared. One Carolina Montesclaros (left) admitted ownership of the goods but she was not detained. NBI said she can recover the medicines if she pays the duties.(Sun.star photo/Allan Cuizon) More than P200 million worth of the Capitol’s pro-jects were completed beyond their contract schedule, and the Commission on Audit (COA) wants the Province to demand damages from contractors. In the annual audit report that Sun.Star Cebu obtained yesterday, auditors cited the delay in the completion of several infrastructure projects, despite extensions granted to contractors. Some projects worth P200.7 million were 95 to 99 percent complete as of December 2005, but COA said these should have been completed as far back as 2004, based on the approved contract time and extensions granted. [full story]