MANILA, Philippines — Around 10,000 members of the Metro Manila police force will be deployed for the annual Traslacion of the Black Nazarene on Jan. 9, the chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said Friday.
“At least 10,000 policemen ang ipe-field namin (will be deployed in the field),” NCRPO Acting Director Brid. Gen. Debold Sinas said in a press briefing in Quezon City.
However, he said that the NCRPO has yet to finalize the final number of police personnel to be deployed.
Sinas added that from the 10,000 police personnel, around 1,500 of them will be tasked to secure the front and sides of the andas or carriage carrying the image of the Black Nazarene. The NCRPO chief said that this will prevent devotees from blocking the carriage’s path.
“Yung sa likod (ng carriage), pwede pa rin sumampa kasi open pa rin naman ‘yun eh. Ang pineprevent namin is ma-block ng route papunta kasi ito yung cause ng delay eh,” Sinas said.
(The back of the carriage will still be open, devotees can still climb up. What we’re preventing is the route from getting blocked because this is the cause of the delay.)
Sinas added that the plan to have police officer around the carriage was for order, and not to block devotees from touching the Black Nazarene.
“Hindi naman namin ipinagkakait, ang [gusto] lang namin is order. Ang kailangan lang yung procession route is open, (We’re not preventing them, what we just want is order. What is needed is for the procession route to be open),” Sinas added.
This year’s procession will stretch 6.16 kilometers, starting from the Rizal Park and will pass through several roads in Manila before making its way back to the Quiapo Church.
The image of the Black Nazarene will also pass through Ayala Bridge, which according to Sinas, quoting the Department of Public Works and Highways, was the safest bridge crossing the Pasig River after it was retrofitted.