8K devotees join Jesus Nazareno procession; minor hit by taxi in hit-and-run

Around 8,000 devotees attended the Jesus Nazareno thanksgiving procession in Quiapo, Manila which began on the night of Dec. 30 and ended early Dec. 31, the Manila Police District (MPD) said, according to a report by Jhomer Apresto on Unang Balita on Wednesday.

The procession, which began and ended at the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno or Quiapo Church, had the image of Jesus Nazareno going around the streets of Quiapo.

The conduct of the procession was generally peaceful, the MPD said, except for a hit-and-run incident.

A 13-year-old boy crossed the center island on Quezon Avenue to get to the other side to await the image of the Jesus Nazareno, a Raha rescue volunteer who responded to the incident said.

However, a taxi hit the victim and immediately drove away.

The incident occurred past 12 a.m. Wednesday.

The victim was brought to the hospital for medical attention.

Police meanwhile are on the manhunt for the taxi driver.

The procession started at 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday and ended at 1:10 a.m. Wednesday.

"'Yung ruta, parehas sa nakaraang taon, pero mas mabilis ito," Alex Irasga, technical adviser of Quiapo Church, said.

(The route is the same as last year's but this one is faster.)

"Primarily ang tingin naming dito, nagwo-work 'yung effort ng simbahan na pakiusapan ang mga deboto na mas maging solemm ang pagdiriwang," he added.

(Primarily, we think the effort of the church to appeal to devotees to make the event more solemn worked.)

The MPD also noted the generally orderly conduct of the thanksgiving procession.

"Dahil na rin po ito sa pagtutulungan ng simbahan at ng kapulisan natin. More or less 600 'yung ating dineploy na personnel from Manila Police District and of course from NCRPO (National Capital Region Police Office)," Police Captain Dennis Turla, police community precinct commander at Plaza Miranda, said.

(It's also because of the cooperation between the church and the police force. More or less we deployed 600 personnel from the Manila Police district and of course from NCRPO.)

Meanwhile, the MPD is preparing for the Jesus Nazareno Traslacion to be held on January 9.

READ: Quiapo Church bares Nazareno 2026 sked, Traslacion route

—KG, GMA Integrated News