Hundreds injured in traslacion
MANILA, Philippines — He may be lambasting the Catholic Church at every turn, but President Duterte was included in the prayers yesterday as millions of devotees celebrated the Feast of the Black Nazarene.
Monsignor Hernando Coronel had called for prayers for the country’s leaders, including Duterte, following a question from the press last week about his thoughts on the President’s constant tirades against the Catholic Church and its teachings.
Presidential spokesman and chief legal adviser Salvador Panelo welcomed the prayers offered for President Duterte by the rector of the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene.
“We must pray for them. I will also pray for them. Whether you believe it or not, I really pray and everybody is included, including enemies. Prayers should be like that,” Panelo said.
The good behavior of devotees made the traslacion or movement of the Nazarene image an orderly procession from the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park to the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, a church official said.
“By asking the devotees to make a pledge to the Black Nazarene before the start of the traslacion, they would be reminded that they were promising to follow the rules and regulations,” said Quiapo Church parochial vicar Fr. Daniel Voltaire Hui.
Hui added that the 413-year-old image of the Black Nazarene might complete its 6.1-kilometer traslacion at 2:30 a.m. today.
The procession began at 5:15 a.m. yesterday and could drag on for almost 24 hours. In 2017 and 2018, the procession lasted around 22 hours.
Hui attributed the quick five-minute transfer of the image to its andas or carriage, as compared to previous years, to the phalanx of Philippine National Police (PNP) and Philippine Air Force personnel that secured the stage.
Fourteen stations of the cross were also spread out along the route where there would be prayer, vigil and songs, the priest said.
Panelo pointed out that everybody should pray that the President would succeed, as the success will benefit every Filipino.
“Why am I saying that they should be praying for the President? We’re all parts of one whole. A Filipino adage says: ‘Pain in the little finger is felt by the whole body.’ The failure of this President will be the failure of all of us,” the spokesman added.
Panelo was not sure if the Office of the President would come out with a message for the Feast of the Black Nazarene.
For her part, Vice President Leni Robredo expressed hope yesterday that the Filipinos’ devotion to the Black Nazarene would inspire them to unite for the betterment of the country.
“May the Feast of the Black Nazarene serve as an inspiration for us to strengthen our faith and hopes that we can unite for the future of our country,” Robredo said in a message posted on her Facebook account.
Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada was pleased with the peaceful and orderly traslacion.
In a telephone interview with The STAR, Estrada lauded the PNP, city government departments and Bureau of Fire Protection for a “job well done.”
“The preparation and contingency plan we laid down was successful. Except for minor injuries involving the devotees of the Black Nazarene, there was no (major) incident,” Estrada said.
But street sweeper Imelda Novelas seemed exhausted.
“We are always tired during the traslacion,” Novelas said.
Another street sweeper, Mardie Brigilio, criticized the lack of discipline among the devotees who left their garbage during the traslacion.
“They keep on throwing garbage even if they see us sweeping the streets,” Brigilio said.
PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde yesterday confirmed that the activities for the Feast of the Black Nazarene were generally peaceful.
Despite tallying at least 477 cases of injuries, Albayalde said there were no major untoward incidents during the traslacion.
“As of this time it’s generally peaceful. So far there have been no casualties,” he told reporters in an ambush interview in Quiapo Church where he inspected the security coverage laid out for the procession.
No crime was reported within the procession route, based on reports Albayalde received from National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Guillermo Eleazar.
Eleazar supervised at least 7,200 police officers deployed in Manila to secure the traslacion.
The procession was also faster by one hour, according to Albayalde.
‘Exaggerated’ presence
But militant labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) yesterday expressed alarm over the “exaggerated” presence of military and police during the traslacion.
KMU chairman Lito Ustarez said the presence of military and police officers during the procession was an indication of the government’s plan to implement martial law nationwide.
“The real danger of violence comes from President Duterte. We cannot trust him to not use the traslacion as a venue to launch insidious operations that can be used to justify martial law,” Ustarez said in a statement.
Ustarez noted that a big number of traslacion participants are working poor.
“The continuing massive support for religious exercises that highlight the suffering and persecution of the poor is a slap in the face of a President who insults the Catholic church and threatens to kill those who oppose extrajudicial killings,” Ustarez said.
Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of the Philippine Red Cross, was grateful for the services of PRC personnel.
“I’m very proud of them. They were very visible and were quick to come to the aid of those who need medical first aid,” Gordon said yesterday in a telephone interview. – With Edith Regalado, Helen Flores, Emmanuel Tupas, Mayen Jaymalin, Rainier Allan Ronda, Jose Rodel Clapano, Sheila Crisostomo, Ghio Ong