2 held in Palawan blasts, say police

PUERTO PRINCESA – Philippine police have detained two suspects over bombings on the tourist island of Palawan that wounded three people, a police spokeswoman said Monday.

Two blasts went off nearly simultaneously outside a hotel in the El Nido beach resort and outside a bus depot in the provincial capital Puerto Princesa on Thursday, the start of peak Easter tourist holiday season.

The two suspects were arrested on Sunday, and authorities were checking reports that one of them was employed by the Palawan provincial government, Palawan police spokeswoman Inspector Grace Gomba told reporters.

“I can confirm that we are investigating two individuals,” Gomba said.

“At first they were reluctant to talk, but they are now cooperating with the police,” she added without elaborating.

The motive for the attack has not been established, and police declined to identify the detained suspects.

The blasts wounded a hotel cook in El Nido as well as a rickshaw driver and his female passenger in Puerto Princesa, about 175 kilometers (110 miles) away.

Palawan is a major Philippine tourist draw with its beaches and spectacular rock formations.