Manila: The presidential palace on Saturday confirmed they received intelligence on a suspected plot to kill Pope Francis during his recent visit to the Philippine, but added that the information they received was raw and unverified.
“We were aware. We were able to speak to those in the security establishments on that and I was told that they were aware of that particular piece of unverified information that was passed on,” Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in an interview over government radio on Saturday.
The plot to kill the 78-year-old Pontiff was supposed to have been carried out by a foreign national during the June 15-19 papal visit.
The plot was revealed by an unnamed source — a former military intelligence officer.
The plot read like pages from a spy thriller.
An Iranian nuclear engineer posing as a relief worker was to have carried out the assassination attempt during the Tacloban City to Palo, Leyte juncture of the papal visit. A remotely-detonated powerful explosive was to be used in the plot.
However, the plotters were caught off balance by storm Mekkala [locally named ‘Amang’] and had to abort the assassination attempt.
The same source said another attempt was planned during Pope Francis’ mass at the Quirino Grandstand, but this was also called off since the plotters were unable to get close to the papal convoy.
But Valte said that true or not, the government could not simply dismiss such information, especially since it concerns the life of the Pope.
“The country’s security establishment exercise prudence and authorities look into those things and they take it into account,” Valte said.
Before the arrival of the Pope, the Philippines had made elaborate security preparations for his security, including documenting all foreigners who had arrived before the papal visit.
