Government carrying out new security arrangement for Pope Francis' visit

The government's National Organizing Committee, tasked to iron out preparations for the visit of Pope Francis, has done several improvements to ensure the safety of the pontiff during his visit.

Under the new security arrangement, authorities will allow more people to have a glimpse of the visiting head of the Roman Catholic Church when he arrives in Manila on Thursday, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said.

The committee has studied footages of the motorcade of Pope John II in 1995 when he arrived for World Youth Day at the Quirino Grandstand, Lacierda said.

The committee, he said, changed the layout of Roxas Boulevard as part of the new security set-up to prevent people from moving once the pope's convoy nears.

The crowd will now be allowed to take the entire northbound lane going to Luneta as well as the center island, he explained.

Authorities have also put up barricades and have deployed security personnel, he added.

"So, instead of people surging to see (the pope), the crowd will now be allowed to occupy the northbound lane."

Authorities have also formed grids to create buffer areas, and inside the grids are mini quadrants, he said.

"There will be buffer areas. In case magkaroon ng tulakan and stampede, meron kang area to move to," he noted.

In 1995, organizers had to airlift Pope John Paul II in and out of the grandstand because it was impossible for the Pope mobile to enter the area.

Lacierda said each grid will be manned by eight police personnel, 400 AFP reservists, eight to 10 Health Department personnel, eight to 10 Red Cross volunteers and two marshals.

Every morning, officials have been holding security briefings, Lacierda said, adding that Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, and Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa will meet on Thursday (Jan. 15) for another security briefing. (PCOO News Release)