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3,000 cops deployed as Jesus Nazareno devotees brave heat
An estimated 3,000 police personnel were deployed around the Quiapo Church on Good Friday to secure devotees participating in the procession of the Jesus Nazareno image in the City of Manila.
Manila Police District spokesperson Police Major Philipp Ines said the number of security personnel may go up to 12,000 if manpower from other government agencies and Nazareno hijos or volunteers are included.
Ines also said there were less policemen deployed on Good Friday compared to the Traslacion, the annual procession of the black image of Jesus Christ.
"Mas marami noong Traslacion kasi nga manggagaling ang Nazareno sa Quirino Grandstand papunta rito. Mas mahaba yung ruta noon kumpara ngayong Good Friday procession. 'Yung Good Friday Procession, dito lang ito sa paikot ng simbahan," Ines said.
(More cops were deployed in the last Traslacion, wherein the Nazareno procession started at the Quirino Grandstand and ended at the Quiapo Church. That route is longer compared to today's Good Friday procession, which is held just around the church.)
No untoward incidents were reported, Ines said, except for a few minor medical cases such as headaches, hypertension, and cuts on the feet.
Quezon Boulevard was closed off to vehicular traffic on Good Friday to make way for the procession of the Jesus Nazareno image, also known as the Poong Nazareno.
Devotees have been waiting patiently for the Poon to return to the Quiapo Church, or the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno.
Some of them have slept on the road, seemingly oblivious to the trash scattered around them.
Amid the extreme heat affecting multiple areas in the country, some devotees walked barefoot as they joined the Poon's procession.
A number of them brought bottled water to cool off their bodies and sprinkle the contents on the hot surfaces they were walking on.
After the procession, others decided to used discarded cardboard sheets and plastic bags as foot covers.
One of the devotees, Mykka, joined the Good Friday procession as early as 3:30 a.m. to help pull the rope of the andas, or the Nazareno's carriage.
She already had several cuts on her feet when she reached the Quiapo Church at about 10 a.m. However, Mykka said this was a small sacrifice for the Jesus Nazareno.
— VDV, GMA Integrated News
