By Hader Glang and Roy Ramos

ZAMBOANGA CITY

Pope Francis issued a warning on the limits to freedom of expression as he began his tour of the Philippines Thursday as one of the country’s leading Muslims compared deliberately offending religion to terrorism.

The Pope, beginning a five-day visit to Asia’s most populous Catholic nation, defended freedom of speech but said there were limits to free speech, especially if it confronted freedom of religion.

Speaking en route to the Philippines, he said: “You cannot provoke. You cannot insult the faith of others. You cannot make fun of the faith of others."

The Pontiff told reporters that violence in God's name could not be justified and was an "aberration." But added a reaction of some kind was to be expected.

In similar comments, Professor Ali Yacub, Muslim convener of Solidarity for Peace, told The Anadolu Agency that freedom of expression was not absolute.

Referring to the Charlie Hebdo cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, claimed as a provocation by the gunmen who killed 17 people in Paris last week, Yacub said: “There are people offending Islam, especially caricaturing the Holy Prophet Muhammad when he has not done anything wrong to anyone.

"What's their point if it is not to agitate? And, in fact, that it is even worse terrorism. To me, that's the worst terrorism because if you agitate people to do violence against somebody, you are provoking violence so that is even worse.”

Yacub spoke out after thousands of Muslims staged a ‘No apology’ march in Marawi City, a Muslim-majority city on the southern island of Mindanao, in protest at the perceived double standards of Western media against Muslims.

"We have never caricatured any Christians,” he added. “In fact, the Pope is well loved by Muslims around the world so what is the point of hurting the Muslims?"

“The intention was really to sabotage the Pope's visit so that the Pope will be hated by Muslims."

Pope Francis’s arrival for the country’s first papal visit in 20 years was greeted by millions of Catholics.

Church bells rang and huge crowds gathered outside the Villamor air force base as the papal convoy passed on the way to the Apostolic Nunciature mission, 9News television reported.

From Zamboanga City - a predominantly Christian city in a mostly Muslim region of western Mindanao - to Baguio City in northern Luzon island, Catholics were glued to their television sets for the beginning of the visit, which has been declared a national holiday.

More than 6 million people are expected to attend papal events in the capital Manila and central Leyte province.

The visit is aimed at sending a message of mercy and compassion to millions of impoverished Filipinos, including the victims of Yolanda, one of the strongest typhoons to ever hit land.

The country has mounted an extensive security operation for the visit, deploying more than 40,000 soldiers and police in the capital and in Leyte.

Francis is the third pope to visit the Philippines, where around 80 percent of the 100 million population is Roman Catholic, accounting for half of the Church’s followers in Asia. Muslims make up around 5 percent of the Philippine population, mostly in the south.