NOT two but three popemobiles are being prepared by organizers of the papal visit of Pope Francis in the country next week, a church official said Saturday.
Archbishop Socrates Villegas, an official of the 2015 Papal Visit Committee, said that there is a backup popemobile in case the two other vehicles the pontiff will use during his four-day visit in the country breaks down.
The bishop said one of the three vehicles has been the shipped to the country from South Korea, which the pope visited in August last year.
He explained that they provided more than one popemobile for the Holy Father since there has to be another vehicle for him in Leyte.
"We cannot transport the popemobile in Manila to Tacloban so understandably kailangan natin popemobile exclusively for Tacloban and Palo," he said.
"Dito sa Manila we will have the jeepney-inspired popemobile for the use of the Holy Father but we also have an alternate popemobile just in case something breaks down we have a backup," the president of the Catholic Bishops' of the Philippines (CBCP) added.
Villegas said the driver of the popemobile will be part of the papal party, noting that they did not provided a driver, who is familiar with the roads and areas since there a security car that will guide the papal convoy.
"We don't need that kind of expertise kasi there's a security car in front of it to be followed. What we need is familiarity with the preferences of Pope Francis because if he wants to stop or he wants to greet, he already is familiar with the body language of the pope," he added.
Asked if the backup vehicle is bulletproof, the Lingayen-Dagupan prelate said, "It is proof by angels."
Pope Francis will arrive in the country on Thursday afternoon for his Apostolic and State Visit from January 15 to 19.
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