WALL OF PROTECTION The carriage bearing the Black Nazarene leaves the Quirino Grandstand surrounded by a formidable barricade of men in blue. –NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — Officials of the Quiapo Church on Saturday said they are looking into complaints about this year’s “Traslacion” or the procession of the Black Nazarene’s image in the streets of Manila, noting that they will use it to improve the conduct of the annual Catholic festival.
“We will listen to all of them. It is a learning experience for all of us. What is applicable, we could apply. What is not we have to learn from that,” Fr. Hernando “Ding” Coronel, rector of the Quiapo Church, said in a statement posted on the news website of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
This was after some devotees complained on the increased police security during the procession, specifically, the “andas” wall which consists of 2,000 police officers guarding both sides and the front of the “andas” or carriage bearing the image of the Black Nazarene.
Coronel also cited that this year’s procession was “smoother,” noting that there were no devotees climbing and blocking the “andas.”
“But I think the first one was really fast. There were no devotees climbing into the ‘andas,’ no ropes then,” he said.
For Fr. Douglas Badong, parochial vicar of the Quiapo Church said the new security scheme was meant to make the “procession peaceful and orderly,” and not “prevent devotees from getting near the image of the black Jesus.”
This year’s Traslacion took only 16 hours and half hours. The “andas” left Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park at 4:20 a.m. and arrived at the Quiapo church at 8:50 p.m.