Intensive security sought for Pope’s visit

Former Ambassador to the Vatican Henrietta de Villa said yesterday she will ask the government to beef up security during the scheduled visit to the country of Pope John Paul II for the Fourth World Meeting of Families in January 2003.

"We will probably be requiring an intensive security for the Pope and his entourage along with the foreign delegates because the situation calls for it. We need to be more careful now," De Villa told reporters.

She stressed, however, that John Paul, who has visited the country as pope twice, does not consider the country as a dangerous place to visit and planning for the World Meeting of Families is pushing through full steam.

"The Vatican never said or considered it dangerous here. In fact, they are continuously communicating with us on the preparations for the World Meeting of Families," De Villa said.

However, when the Pope last visited the country in January 1995 for the World Youth Day, an assassination plot against him by international terrorists was uncovered although 20,000 policemen were deployed for his holiness’ security.

De Villa said the organizing committee for the World Meeting of Families estimates that the five-million crowd that attended the Papal Mass in 1995 would be doubled next year.

She said the organizing committee has finished the planning phase of the preparations and they would be meeting with various government agencies next month to make security and physical arrangements for the papal visit.

"We have not interfaced with the authorities for the arrangement of the papal visit but we are scheduled to meet with them in July to discuss security matters," she said. – Sandy Araneta