A replica of the Black Nazarene is being carried by devotees during the traditional blessing outside the Quiapo Church in downtown Manila, Philippines on January 4, 2024. Tens of thousands of Roman Catholic devotees joined the Traslacion, or the religious procession to celebrate the Feast Day of the Black Nazarene every January 9. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
MANILA, Philippines — The Manila Police District (MPD) is on “heightened alert” despite not monitoring any threats to the celebration of the Feast of the Black Nazarene on January 9.
The MPD reported this to the media during a press conference with the feast organizers at the Nazarene Catholic School in Quiapo, Manila on Friday.
READ: Quiapo Church releases schedule for Nazareno 2025 activities
“So far, from the intel community, they aren’t monitoring any threats, but we are not keeping our guards down. Our security posture, from hereon until D-day, is that we’ll be on heightened alert,” MPD Director BGen. Arnold Thomas Ibay said in Filipino.
According to the MPD chief, due to the “heightened alert” status of the capital police, the personnel’s leaves and days off were cancelled.
Further, to secure the area during the Traslacion, or the procession of the image of the Black Nazarene, roads along its route would be closed.
“Road closures [along the Traslacion route] will be implemented [starting] 9 p.m. on January 8. These are the control points that we’ve designated so that unauthorized vehicles can no longer enter the area,” Ibay said in Filipino.
The MPD and other concerned agencies are eyeing another walkthrough of the Translacion route before the feast on Jan. 9, Ibay added.
Authorities previously inspected the route in a walkthrough last Dec. 27.
READ: Nazareno 2025: Full deployment, gun ban, road closures on Jan. 8 – MPD
At the same press conference, Ibay said the MPD was on “skeletal deployment” during the week-long festivities in the lead-up to the Traslacion on January 9 but will be fully deployed before the celebration.