Papal convoy dry run set

MANILA, Philippines - Bracing for worst-case scenarios, the government will carry out massive security preparations and information campaign to ensure that the visit of Pope Francis to the country from Jan. 15 to 19 will be peaceful and orderly.

A dry run of the papal convoy, from Villamor Airbase in Pasay to the Apostolic Nunciature in Manila, will be held at 6 p.m. tomorrow following recommendations of top level security coordinators, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino said yesterday.

The Nunciature along Taft Avenue in Manila will be Pope Francis’ residence during his visit.

“It’s going to be an actual simulation of the pope’s arrival from the airport, going to Andrews Avenue, going to Roxas Boulevard, going to Quirino and to the papal residence,” Tolentino said.

The MMDA chief appealed for understanding from the motorists who will be affected by the papal convoy dry run.

“This is the only time when our security experts can evaluate the preparations being undertaken for the papal visit. This will be a general dress rehearsal so we appeal to the passengers going to NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) and domestic airport to be early if they have flights before 6 p.m.,” he said.

President Aquino has ordered the team handling preparations for the papal visit to inform the public about the papal events aside from concentrating on the pontiff’s security, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail said over dzRB.

Starting tomorrow, the government will be releasing materials that will help inform the people about the papal visit.

There will be advisories on road closures, flight schedules as well as location of portalets, Valte said.

The government is expecting a bigger crowd compared to the visit of Pope John Paul II during the World Youth Day in Manila in 1995 where at least five million people took part.

Around six million people are expected to gather at the Quirino Grandstand where Pope Francis will celebrate a mass on Jan. 18.

MMDA assistant general manager for operations Emerson Carlos said the dry run would simulate the actual speed of the convoy when the pope arrives in Manila on Thursday.

For the dry run, the MMDA will be deploying half of the actual number of forces to be utilized during the actual papal arrival, Carlos said.

He said that as far as preparations are concerned, the MMDA is all set for the pope’s visit.

“We no longer have blind spots,” he said.

According to Carlos, the closed-circuit television cameras (CCTVs) positioned along the route of the pope’s convoy across Metro Manila had been tested.

He said that aside from the MMDA’s Metrobase, the CCTVs would be monitored in three other areas.

For security reasons, Carlos declined to disclose the other “command and control” areas of the MMDA for the papal visit.

Carlos said “Task Force Phantom” composed of motorcycle riders from the Philippine National Police’s Highway Patrol Group and the MMDA would be providing close proximity security to the papal convoy.

Task Force Phantom would be taking part in tomorrow night’s dry run.

Roads closed

The stretch of Roxas Boulevard from Quirino Avenue to the Airport Road in Baclaran would be closed to traffic three hours before the papal convoy passes through on Thursday, the MMDA said.

A three-meter “buffer zone” between the southbound and northbound lanes of Roxas Boulevard will be fenced off with concrete barriers.

“The buffer zone will serve as access space for emergency vehicles,” Carlos said.

The MMDA earlier said other roads to be taken by the papal convoy would be closed to traffic.

Affected roads include España Boulevard when the pope visits the University of Santo Tomas (Jan. 18 at 9:45 a.m.), Andrews Avenue to the Mall of Asia Arena (Jan. 16 at 5:30 p.m.), the streets leading to Malacañang Palace (Jan. 16 at 9:15 a.m.), and the streets leading to the Manila Cathedral where Pope Francis will hold a mass at 11:15 a.m. on Jan. 16.

Popemobiles

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday said three popemobiles would be at Pope Francis’ disposal during his visit.

CBCP president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said the vehicles to be utilized by the pontiff include the popemobile he used during 6th Asian Youth Day in South Korea in August last year.

Church officials said the pope would be using a custom-built, jeepney-inspired popemobile while in Manila.

“We cannot transport the popemobile from Manila to Tacloban so we designed another popemobile exclusively for his visit to Tacloban and Palo. We have an alternate popemobile if in case it breaks down, we have a backup,” Villegas said.

The three popemobiles are not bulletproof to accommodate the demands of the visiting church leader.

Pope Francis, who has shunned the pomp of his predecessors, said he prefers to use open-top cars rather than the Vatican's bulletproof popemobile used by previous pontiffs.

Villegas said the Vatican has designated a member of the papal entourage to drive the papal cars for the Holy Father.

Papal vestments

The locally made vestments that Pope Francis will don for the three masses that he will celebrate here have been finished.

Ronald Allan Babaran, designer of Disenyo Sagrada in Bulacan, said the three vestments are adorned with Anahaw leaves, image of Sto. Nino de Cebu, Sampaguita and bamboo designs.

Students of the Lasallete School in San Jose del Monte City will act as the Pontifical Swiss Guards when Pope Francis celebrates a mass for priests at the Manila Cathedral on Friday.

For its part, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is confident that the five-day visit of Pope Francis to the country will be orderly.

AFP spokesman Col. Restituto Padilla said they are conducting security monitoring in relation to the papal visit.

He said they have not monitored any serious threat to the pope.

“We do not see any reason for anybody to harm the pope who is a man of faith, peace, justice and equality,” Padilla said.

Earlier, AFP chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang said the only security concern that they are looking at is the so-called “human surge” that could result in stampede in areas where Pope Francis will be having engagements.

Police Regional Office 3 officer-in-charge Chief Superintendent Ronald Santos said at least 3,000 members of the Bulacan police would be deployed in Manila to help secure the pope.

No sail zone

The Philippine Coast Guard will impose the “no sail zone” in Manila Bay during the papal visit, PCG spokesman Commander Armand Balilo said yesterday.

Two of the papal events will be held near the Manila Bay – the meeting with families at the Mall of Asia on Jan. 16 and the mass at the Quirino Grandstand on Jan. 18.

“We have received reports that there are people who are thinking of using boats to take them to the Manila Bay to witness the papal events. We will not allow that,” Balilo said.

The Southern Luzon Command has ordered all its units to intensify security measures for the papal visit.

The military will be deploying 12,000 troops in coordination with other security agencies to ensure the security of Pope Francis.

The Philippine National Police has mobilized 25,000 personnel in Metro Manila and Leyte for the papal visit. –With Evelyn Macairan, Jaime Laude, Ric Sapnu, Michelle Zoleta