MANILA, Philippines - The people’s pope rode in a “people’s car,” a Volkswagen, when he went to Malacañang yesterday for a state visit.
It was not the first time Pope Francis rode a Volkswagen car. He became the talk of the town when he rode a Volkswagen sedan upon his election as pope in 2013.
To the surprise of many, Pope Francis was not in his open popemobile when he emerged from the Papal Nunciature about 45 minutes behind schedule.
The pontiff rode in a metallic blue, diesel-fed Volkswagen Touran, a multi-purpose vehicle.
Its price tag, a VW executive said, is around P1.775 million while the gasoline variant costs P1.454 million.
However, the price is lower because of 30 percent import duty (source outside ASEAN), the VW executive said.
“Why Volks? It’s a popular brand in Europe, the Vatican and maybe the pope is familiar with the brand,” VW marketing director Arnel Doria told The STAR.
Doria revealed a committee that included representatives from the Nunciature and Vatican security selected the vehicle. There was a formal turnover of the vehicle last Jan. 9 to the papal team.
“There was no test drive. But it was used during the dry run,” Doria said.
Doria defended the pope’s choice of the car despite its catchy price.
“Touran as you see has this air of understated elegance and stature, not flashy,” he said. “There are cheaper cars but they look flashy with too many bells and whistles.”
Pope Francis’ choice of Volkswagen as a brand was scrutinized when he rode a Volkwagen Phaeton sedan a day after he became the head of the Roman Catholic Church in March last year.
Pope Francis is known to keep a low profile and lives frugally, even resorting to taking the bus.
He commuted when he was Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires. After the conclave that elected him as pope, he returned to his residence in a shuttle bus used by the other cardinals.
However, foreign news outfits noted that on his first outing as pontiff to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, he was driven in one of the Vatican’s armored VWs, a sleek but decidedly not flashy black, four-door with tinted windows. It’s the same model Benedict XVI used, as well as the preferred ride of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, reports said.
VW executives, like every Filipino Catholic, were in awe of the 78-year-old pontiff.
“We’re all devotees so seeing our part to the successful visit of Pope Francis is already amazing. We are all proud of our part in this historical event. Seeing our VW Touran shuttling the pope gives us this indescribable feeling,” Doria remarked.
For the pope’s use, Doria said VW Philippines had to fold the seats inside for more moving space. The Vatican insignia flags were also placed and the tint removed on request of the Vatican.
The vehicle had front airbags, side airbags, curtain airbags, including the second row seat where the pope sits.
“Vatican guards chose and inspected the cars way back. We had to install the flagpoles for the papal flags, and of course, install clear window glasses with no tint,” Doria said.
“It’s with extra jump seat at the back so it can load seven passengers. For the pope, the jump seats were folded for luggage, and extra space,” he added.
According to Doria, the Touran was an “ordinary off-the-shelf car (no armor) but with tinted glass replaced.”
“It’s on loan for the pope’s use, but we will hand it over for his donation to a recipient that he will choose,” Doria said.
The VW Touran has a 2.0 TDI diesel engine, dual clutch automatic transmission, airbags and the color is night blue metallic, Doria said.
No threat
With the pope riding in a car, there were suspicions that the threat on his life could be really serious, especially after the delayed departure from the Nunciature.
There were additional security measures set up by the Presidential Security Group (PSG) and the Manila police. Snipers were spotted in strategic areas as part of the stringent security measures at the Apostolic Nunciature area, which was once subject of a terror-plot dubbed as “Oplan: Bojinka” during the 1995 visit of Pope John Paul II.
Maj. Xavier Celestial of the PSG, however said the use of Volkswagen was pre-arranged since he was going to Malacañang for a state visit.
“It’s part of the plan,” he said.
When he went outside the papal residence, Pope Francis was riding on the Volkswagen Touran surrounded by police cars and escorted by motorcycle-riding cops with the PSG and the Manila police.
Fr. Jerome Marquez told dzMM the choice of the vehicle was dictated by the function the pope was going to attend.
Since he met President Aquino as head of the Vatican, he had to use the Touran, which was formal and appropriate compared to the popemobile.
But when Pope Francis went to the Manila Cathedral in the afternoon, he rode the more accessible popemobile.
Some jubilant, others disappointed
Well-wishers waiting for the pope to emerge from the Nunciature were surprised when they saw him in a car instead of the white Isuzu DMAX popemobile, which he used when he arrived from Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Thursday.
“We could have seen him better in the popemobile,” one spectator said.
As early as 2 a.m., devotees were seen staking their places along Quirino Avenue, several kilometers from the Nunciature. By 6 a.m., the 10-kilometer route from Taft Avenue to the barricades outside Malacañang was packed. – With Paolo Romero