Filipino Roman Catholic devotees try to get near the carriage of the Black Nazarene during a raucous procession to celebrate its feast day Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020, in Manila, Philippines. A mammoth crowd of mostly barefoot Filipino Catholics prayed for peace in the increasingly volatile Middle East at the start Thursday of an annual procession of a centuries-old black statue of Jesus Christ in one of Asia’s biggest religious events. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang defended Thursday the strict security measures enforced by the Philippine National Police (PNP) during the procession of the Black Nazarene, stressing that the tighter measures were placed to ensure the safety of devotees.
“Well, the PNP certainly has to undertake measures that will provide for the safety of those devotees. It may be strict but the goal is to protect them from any harm,” presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a Palace press briefing.
Some devotees of the Black Nazarene reportedly expressed frustration over the increased police deployment for the annual Traslacion.
Among the measures added is the so-called “Andas Wall” which consists of more than 2,000 policemen to separate the andas bearing the image of the Black Nazarene from devotees during the procession. Devotees complained that the barricade deprived them of the chance to fulfill their yearly devotion.
Another measure that drew mixed reactions is the installation of barbed wire on the beams of Ayala bridge which, according to the National Capital Region Police Office, is to prevent devotees from climbing its metal frames.