Fugitive wanted for murder captured during Nazarene procession

MANILA, Philippines - Saturday’s annual Traslacion of the image of the Black Nazarene in Manila never fail to attract throngs of repentant sinners and criminals.

Fugitive John Cedrick Bernabe, 22, never expected that he would be arrested by officers of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) as he joined other devotees in pulling the ropes of the Nazareno’s "andas" (carriage) at the Quirino Grandstand early Saturday morning.

According to NCRPO director Joel Pagdilao, alert NCRPO officers spotted Bernabe – who is wanted for murder - while conducting a monitoring operation at the vicinity of the grandstand at about 6:45 a.m.

Bernabe, a resident of Malabon City, is the subject of a warrant of arrest for murder issued by Malabon City Regional Trial Court Branch 170 Judge Aldy Docena. He is now detained at the NCRPO headquarters.

At 10:15 a.m. NCRPO officers arrested 23-year-old Bahala na Gang member Mark Gallos along P. Burgos Street in front of the National Museum after he allegedly swiped and ran away with the mobile phone of a devotee.

According to NCRPO spokesperson, Chief Inspector Kimberly Molitas, as of 1 p.m. Saturday, the crowd of devotees pulling the image’s andas had swelled to 1.303 million as they made their way down the Jones Bridge.

The crowd meanwhile waiting at the Quiapo Church was estimated by the NCRPO at 70,000 as of 1 p.m.