Pope security: Gun, bag get Naia cop into trouble

MANILA, Philippines—He didn’t get the memo—or so he claims.

An airport policeman was arrested in Pasay City Thursday night for carrying a gun in the streets in violation of a directive limiting the number of government security personnel who could carry firearms during the four-day visit of Pope Francis.

Cpl. Virgilio Perez, 61, was apprehended around 6:30 p.m. in front of the Philippine Airlines ticketing office on Domestic Road in Pasay, near the route of the papal convoy.

Then in plainclothes, Perez was stopped as he was crossing the street because he was spotted carrying a backpack—another item prohibited along the route. He was approached by a police team from Tarlac province who was tapped to augment Metro Manila forces for the papal visit.

When checked, the bag yielded a loaded 9-mm pistol, which Perez insisted to be covered by a mission order issued by Manila International Airport Authority general manager Jose Angel Honrado. He later produced the mission order and his gun license to investigators.

Perez’s superior Jesus Gordon Descanzo later confirmed that he is one of his men and that he could not possibly be a security threat to the Pope.

Still in detention as of press time on Friday, Perez explained that he was then running late for his 7 p.m. shift at Terminal 4 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

But SPO3 Allan Valdez of the Pasay City police investigation division said Perez had to be booked for violating restrictions on carrying firearms during the papal visit, adding that he could carry his gun only inside the airport.

“Since the memorandum (about the restriction) was issued well ahead of the visit, he should have anticipated the situation and just left his gun at their office,” Valdez said.

Speaking to the Inquirer, Perez, a Pasay resident, admitted he was not aware of the memo.

The Philippine National Police has deployed around 25,000 policemen while the Armed Forces put 12,000 soldiers on security detail for the historic four-day visit of Pope Francis.

Their task includes securing the route of the papal convoy, with hundreds of unarmed PNP personnel forming human barricades to restrict cheering crowds to the sidewalk. Special teams are also assigned to keep watch on the train stations along sections of the route, mainly on Taft Avenue. With a report from Niña P. Calleja and Julie Aurelio