Police, Military secure Black Nazarene devotees amid ‘terror’ reports

MANILA, Philippines — Police and military early Monday morning fanned out to various areas of Plaza Miranda amid reports of possible terror attacks as thousands of Filipinos commemorate the Feast of the Black Nazarene Monday.

Just off the square, military and police vehicles were seen in the area said to be one of the possible targets of terrorists planning to take advantage of the annual religious event.

Uniformed officers weaved in and out of crowds at the plaza as part of security procedure, said Senior Police Officer 2 Arnel Pabines of the Manila Police District.

Despite reports of possible terror attacks, devotees still flocked to take part in the “Traslacion” which commemorates the very first time the Black Nazarene was transfered from Intramuros to Quiapo.

Chief Inspector Carol Macawile, chief of operations of MPD’s Station 3 said that while an estimated 5,000 persons have gathered to hear mass inside and outside the Parish of St. John the Baptist in Quiapo, Manila, “there have been no untoward incidents as of 7:30 a.m. “The situation here is normal. Some elderly persons fainted but we have assisted them already. There are also no reports of missing children or of victims of pickpockets.”

Macawile explained that over 1,500 of the lawmen assigned to secure the church came from the MPD while some 800 were part of the augmentation force from the National Capital Region Police Office.

“Around 3000 NGO members are also here to help maintain peace and order,” she said.

Security forces are keeping an eye on thousands of devotees and bystanders at the square, those listening to the mass inside the church, as well as the barefoot devotees carrying their replicas of the dark-skinned Christ towards the direction of the Quirino Grandstand.

Meanwhile, cellphone signal has noticably been difficult but network jammers were not part of the authorities’ security operation, Macawile maintained.

Network jammers were “unnecessary,” she explained. “The number one reason we asked devotees to leave their cellphones at home was because it’s the target of pickpockets.”