The Armed Forces of the Philippines sent nine helicopters to
help provide security to Pope Francis and pilgrims coming from Mindanao, Luzon
and the Visayas regions during the Papal visit here on Saturday, a Philippine
Air Force (PAF) official told the PNA after the Pope left Tacloban City early
Saturday afternoon.
Major Glen Cabalquinto, spokesman of the Philippine Air
Force 1st Air Division, said they had deployed nine helicopters to augment
security measures for the apostolic and state visit of Pope Francis in this
typhoon-ravaged province
of Leyte
“The Philippine Air Force's 1st Air Division deployed nine
air assets to provide highest security measures to the Pontiff and tens of
thousands of people and pilgrims from across the country attending the historic
event in the land,” he said.
Cabalquinto, a helicopter pilot and veteran of natural
disaster response operations, said that aside from nine choppers, an air
ambulance from Philippine Navy was also stationed at the Tactical Operations
Group 8 to augment the government’s sea and land assets for security and
contingency measures here.
Gen. Romeo Fajardo, National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Council and Office of Civil Defense deputy administrator, had
earlier directed all government forces during the Regional DRRMC meeting held
at Department of Health office to ensure the safety of Pope Francis and the
pilgrims.
“Let’s protect the Pope and the people,” Fajardo said.
However, though the PNP Region 8 police officers assured a
peaceful visit of the Pontiff here, unfortunately two persons -- a policeman
and an ex-soldier -- were killed on the eve of Pope Francis' visit in a bloody
shootout while simulation exercises were being done here.
A policeman assigned in Eastern Samar and deployed to Palo, Leyte , to provide security was gunned down in the town by
an ex-soldier who grabbed his service firearms while conducting an inspection.
The suspect immediately fled after the incident but two
policemen and buddies of the victim ran after him and gunned him down.
The PNP regional command in Region 8 withheld the identities
of the slain ex-soldier and the policeman.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=726148
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