Police preparing for Black Nazarene feast celebration in Quiapo on Wednesday

By Ronron
January 5, 2008

Police in Manila City are already preparing for the celebration of the Catholic Feast of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo District this coming Wednesday.

Manila Police Station 3 commander Sr. Supt. Romulo Sapitula said Saturday that more than 1,000 security personnel, consisting of more than 500 cops and more than 600 crime watch volunteers like barangay tanods, will be utilized on that day to ensure that the traditional Catholic festivity will not turn chaotic.

He said their security preparations have been preceded with anti-criminality operations in Quiapo area since Wednesday that have so far netted eight wanted criminals, 23 with criminal records, two violators of the illegal drugs law, and five others with police records pertaining to said crime.

Together with personnel from the Manila City Engineer’s Office, they have also gone through the Quiapo Church, the Plaza Miranda and the streets towards San Sebastian Church near the Mendiola Bridge on Saturday morning to check on the route of the image of the Black Nazarene.

“We will have police assistance centers along the route of the procession that will be ready to help or address all concerns like obstructions, and peace and order,” Sapitula said.

For the first time, policemen and crime watch volunteers will also be the ones that will take the Black Nazarene image outside of the Quiapo church when the religious rites begin around 1pm.

“One thing that is new this time is that our role will not only be for security but we will also be marshals for the Holy Nazarene. There will be 100 crime watch volunteers and 100 policemen that will guide the Holy Nazarene outside the church,” Sapitula said.

Outside the church, the police will then turn over the image of the Black Nazarene to the devotees.

He said they expect the crowd at Plaza Miranda, which is directly outside the Quiapo Church, to swell at around 20,000.

From theire, the image is expected to be taken by the devotees up to the premises of the San Sebastian Church, he added.

The return of the image inside the church is expected between 8 and 9pm.

Sapitula said that a day before the activity, or on January 8, all vendors around the Quiapo Church and in Plaza Miranda will be cleared.

Sapitula said there is no order yet from higher authorities if they will go on full alert on January 9. But even without it, he said they will still “double” their “security procedures.”/DMS