Security forces ready for all possible scenarios on Pope Francis visit

MANILA, Jan. 15 (PNA) -- With Pope Francis' arrival just a few hours away, the Department of National Defense (DND) expressed confidence that the country's security forces have prepared for scenarios with all the resources it had at its disposal.The DND is the mother agency of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.The AFP is contributing 17,000 troops to augment the 25,000 Philippine National Police members tasked to secure Pope Francis during his Jan. 15 to 19 visit in the Philippines.Dr. Peter Paul Galvez, DND spokesperson, also said that all government security agencies are in close coordination to ensure that Filipinos attending and observing on all of Pope Francis' activities are protected thus, allowing them to concentrate on this very religious and spiritual encounter with the Pontiff. As the Pope has said, he is visiting our country to reiterate that Jesus is the focus of which he represents, he added.Galvez also said that the DND is just one of the government agencies tasked with the security measures for the papal visit. The AFP is just one of the force providers and will perform its role accordingly. We would like to seek the help and cooperation of the entire nation in order to ensure a safe, peaceful and spiritual event, the DND spokesperson said. (PNA) FFC/PFN