Devotees rush through human barricade during Black Nazarene Feast

Several devotees rushed past the human barricade of the Hijos Del Nazareno during the Feast of the Black Nazarene, according to Vonne Aquino’s Saturday report on “24 Oras Weekend.”

The Hijos Del Nazareno were controlling the flow of people entering the Quiapo Church on Saturday midnight when the crowd of devotees rushed the barricade.

“Mga lumusob. ‘Yan, mga lumusob na, oh. Hindi na kinaya,” said an oberserver.

“‘Yan, ayan ‘yung mga deboto ating matitigas ‘yung ulo,” he added.

Though some disobeyed protocols, others lined properly at Plaza Miranda to enter the Church.

After the first mass, however, authorities had difficulty implementing physical distancing, especially once devotees along Quezon Boulevard were blessed with holy water.

By Saturday morning, the devotees crowded together despite the dangers from the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

One of them was 73-year-old Leonila Abañez, who joined the other devotees despite being prohibited from leaving her house amid the pandemic.

“Hindi naman po [ako natatakot sa COVID-19]. Awa ng Diyos,” Abañez said.

Jaime Cruz, another senior citizen, also joined the queue.

He said that his wish this year was for his sick siblings to get better.

“Taon-taon kasi nandito ako. Hindi ako nawawala rito. Kahit anong mangyari. Bumagyo man nandito ako,” Cruz said. — Joahna Lei Casilao/DVM, GMA News