Three explosions rocked Metro Manila, capital of the Philippines, and a nearby province early Sunday, wounding eight people, as the Philippine police and military were on heightened alert before the upcoming Independence Day celebration to be held on Monday, police said.

The first blast took place in the southern Lipa city in Batangas province where two men lobbed a grenade in front of Lipa City public market at 5:00 a.m. local time, wounding eight people who were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment, according to a police report.

Local Police said the explosive used in this blast was placed inside a bayong (native woven bag used in wet markets) and sparked by the said homemade grenade.

The second explosion ripped through a bus which served as a police satellite station at 5:30 a.m. local time in the Metro Manila suburb of Quezon City, shattering its window glasses and piercing holes through its body, the police added.

The third blast meanwhile occured at Lawton, Metro Manila, shattering tiles outside of a police sub-station, the police said, adding that no injuries were reported.

Both blasts in Metro Manila and Lipa could be the handiworks of destabilizers out to foment further wave of momentum to overthrow President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the police said.

Government investigators said they also looked into possibilities that Al Qaida-linked terrorists, New People's Army rebels and criminal syndicates could be involved in the blasts.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police raised their alert levels on Thursday ahead of the country's 108th Independence Day celebrations to be held on June 12, by implementing a tight security cordon around President Arroyo and other government officials.

Source: Xinhua