Philippines to Boost Police at Tourist Spots

The Philippines plans to deploy about 1,000 police officers in key tourist spots after the slaying of an Israeli visitor at a famous island resort, Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon said today.

The move to step up security for tourists comes as U.S. troops prepare for a joint military exercise in the southern Philippines as part of Washington’s first significant expansion of its war against terrorism. The exercise is to start in a few days.

Gordon said the 26-year-old Israeli was stabbed to death while walking with his girlfriend on the beach at the island resort of Boracay in the central Philippines on Sunday.

“These tourists have been there for the last two months. . . . A third party was involved,” Gordon said.

He said police had detained several men for questioning. The killing came immediately after a regional tourism conference in Indonesia at which Southeast Asian ministers insisted that their countries are safe for travelers.

Gordon said that some of the 1,000 police officers will be posted by summer at tourist spots, including Boracay, which is one of the country’s top tourist destinations.