No backpacks, caps in ‘Traslacion’

REPLICA BLESSING Holy water rains down on miniature Black Nazarene replicas in front of Quiapo Church on Monday. —GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

Black Nazarene devotees who intend to join the “Traslacion” on Wednesday should leave their backpacks and caps at home, according to Metro Manila’s top cop.

Director Guillermo Eleazar, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief, said on Monday that there would be a ban on backpacks and caps as part of security measures for the procession.

Also banned were colored drinks in nontransparent containers, explosives and firecrackers, illegal drugs and deadly weapons.

Quiapo vendor yields gun

Eleazar made the announcement a day after Manila police arrested a vendor at Quiapo Church for carrying an improvised firearm and 12-gauge shotgun cartridges in a black sports bag.

Policemen were conducting clearing operations in preparation for the Feast of the Black Nazarene when they found the bag near the church on Sunday. The contents of the bag set off a metal detector, prompting the police to look for the owner.

Peter Coderias, who was selling his wares nearby, admitted that it was his bag. When it was searched, the police found the gun and cartridges. They arrested the 42-year-old vendor and charged him with illegal possession of a firearm.

Eleazar, meanwhile, played down rumors of a terror threat to the traslacion, or procession of the Black Nazarene, expected to be attended by millions of devotees.

“Rumors of a threat have circulated; however, these either have no basis or are unreliable. There is no confirmed threat as of the moment in time for the annual feast,” he said.

He added that the police were on full alert status while also continuously coordinating with military and intelligence agencies to secure the event.

More than 7,200 policemen would be stationed along the 6.1-kilometer route of the procession. On top of this, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said it would also field some 2,000 soldiers to help ensure the safety of devotees.

Temporary gun ban

Eleazar said the Philippine National Police had temporarily suspended permits to carry firearms outside of residence in Manila from Jan. 8 to 10.

During this period, only members of the PNP, AFP and other law enforcement agencies on official duty and in uniform would be allowed to carry firearms.

The NCRPO would also be implementing no-fly and no-sail zones in Manila. Telecommunication signals along and around the traslacion route would be jammed as well.

Last year, around 6.3 million devotees joined the almost 23-hour-long procession from Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park to Quiapo Church. —With reports from Matthew Reysio-Cruz and Jeannette I. Andrade