Pope’s security should equal US presidents’

The security arrangements during the Manila visit of George W. Bush in October 2003 was one of the most extensive ever given to any visiting head of state in recent memory, especially right after 9/11 and with the US waging war against Iraq. What made the security challenging was the escape of Indonesian terrorist extremist Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi from his Camp Crame cell – ratcheting up the preparations to make sure that everything was set into place. Luckily, the militant bomb expert was killed six days before the arrival of Bush in Manila after a massive manhunt was conducted by our entire armed forces.

We distinctly remember how then-president Gloria Arroyo was so concerned that she personally went through the whole dry-run process with then-US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone – going through all the paces of the presidential route starting from Malacañang and the amount of time it will take until Bush arrives at the Batasan for his joint Congress speech. When show time came, it took less than 18 minutes for the Bush convoy to get to the Batasang Pambansa from the Palace – a nice way to travel through the streets of Manila if you are the president of the United States with full air cover by Air Force helicopters.

Tight security also accompanied President Barack Obama during his recent visit last April, with vast resources of the United States in securing the president – starting with a large jumbo jet carrying all his bullet proof vehicles and two identical Air Force One jets traveling in tandem, two Marine One helicopters plus a couple of V-22 Osprey choppers as added security. Nothing was obviously left to chance by the US Secret Service.

While visits from US presidents are major events whenever they travel abroad, nothing can equal the sense of elation and joyful anticipation brought about by the forthcoming January 2015 visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines. Many overseas Filipinos are already planning their trip back to the Philippines, rearranging their schedules so they can extend their vacation after the Christmas holidays just so they make it for the arrival of the Pope. Rich or poor, young and old, straight or LGBT, most everyone is looking forward to the visit. Devout Catholics from neighboring Asian countries are also travelling here hoping to catch a glimpse of the pontiff. Hopefully, traffic is not going to be horrific since people are already forewarned about the planned motorcades and the open mass in Luneta on Jan. 18.

The five-day visit of the Pope is a major event that requires even more extensive security preparations than any other state visitor. No matter how good or massive the security is, it would be very challenging to control the crowd of five million or more people who will all try to surge towards Pope Francis. Compounding the difficulty is the fact that this pope is known for his unpredictable movements, preferring to go around in a simple vehicle instead of a bulletproof vehicle, going over to the crowds and allowing himself to be touched and even grabbed on the shoulder – which has proven to be a security nightmare for his Vatican security detail.

We are told that Pope Francis is refusing the use of an armored pope mobile because he wants to interact with the Catholic faithful especially the poor. I really hope someone from the CBCP can convince him otherwise – not necessarily to isolate him but to make him even more visible while simultaneously insulating him from any potential threat. The threat is real from the militant Islamic State of Iraq and Syria that had issued a “fatwa” (religious edict) against the Pope, declaring that they will extend their reach to the Vatican and even boasting that they will put the black flag of the jihadist group at the top of St. Peter’s Basilica.

As a Catholic nation, we can only pray for the safety of the Pope on his forthcoming visit, something the Church has already started with special prayers during every mass until he arrives. Aside from western state leaders, high up on the list of terrorist groups is the Pope. Many can still remember the assassination attempt on Pope Paul II by Turkish Mehmet Ali Agca in May 1981 while the pontiff was standing in a slow moving, open vehicle going through a crowd of worshippers at St. Peter Square. Agca – who was released in 2010 – is now seeking an audience with Pope Francis when the latter visits Turkey on Nov. 28-30.

We’re told a major country has already offered its high-tech satellite security apparatus for the visit, but the Philippine government has yet to accept the offer. Let’s face it, pride has no place in making sure about securing Pope Francis whose visit must be “bullet proof” perfect. Absolutely nothing must be left to chance. During his visit to Brazil, the Pope deviated from the pre-set and secured route for his motorcade, resulting in the driver taking a wrong turn. The Pope eventually had to take a chopper for his meeting with Brazilian president Dilma Rouseff – a contingency we must be ready with.

True to his humble character, Pope Francis made it clear he does not want his visit to cost the Filipino people too much. But let’s face it – securing a very popular pope is worth the expense no matter how much it costs. After all, he is our supreme spiritual leader. While all of us pray that everything will go well, we must also follow the old saying – let’s do our very best and God will do the rest.

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