MANILA, Philippines—To help avert any untoward incident, Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Tuesday called for public  vigilance  during Pope Francis’ five-day visit to the country.

“Faith with discipline and vigilance is the key to success,” Pimentel said in a statement.

Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

Pimentel said public vigilance would play a critical role in the security cordon as the Pope insisted on traveling in an open popemobile.

Government alone could not accomplish the job to prevent stampedes and attempts by desperate troublemakers, reminding the people that “theirs is an indispensable task to closely cooperate,” Pimentel said.

He urged every Filipino, who plans to attend any of the pope’s public engagements, “to be guided by the fundamental mission.”

“That is to strengthen our faith in God,” Pimentel said of the visit that would also bring the pope to Leyte province at the ground zero of Supertyphoon Yolanda which devastated Tacloban City in December 2013.

Pimentel said discipline would help ensure a trouble-free celebration as some six million devotees are expected to hear the pope’s Mass on January 18 at the Rizal Park while vigilance would help avert any untoward incident to help some 25,000 policemen and a massive security blanket thrown by government to secure the head of the Vatican.

The unprecedented security measure puts the entire Philippine National Police and Armed Forces in full red alert, no-fly zones imposed, roads blocked, and airborne and naval troops enlisted.

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