NCRPO eyes less riots, cleaner streets for Traslacion 2020

Acting NCRPO chief Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas discusses the security plan for Traslacion 2020 at Quiapo Church during a meeting on Dec. 30. INQUIRER.net photo / Consuelo Marquez

MANILA, Philippines — National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) on Monday vowed minimum rowdy incidents and cleaner streets for next year’s Traslacion, a day long parade of the Black Nazarene in Manila.

Acting NCRPO chief Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas, said they will increase police visibility near the statue carriage or “andas” as part of their security plan for Thanksgiving Procession for the Black Nazarene.

“Kaya mabagal yung prusisyon may sumasalubong, may nagaagaw sa andas, may nagsusuntukan. Ngayon di na namin papayagan yan marami na kami,” Sinas told reporters in front of Quiapo Church hours before the Thanksgiving procession.

(The parade takes longer because devotees are eager to approach the carriage carrying the Black Nazarene statue. Some civilians are engaging in riots. But this year we are not letting that to happen, we have many policemen fielded for the event.)

“Paglabas ng andas lahat ng daanan may police na both sides para ang sa gitna ng kalye malinis na, hindi na papayagan na paglabas ng andas may sasalubong. ‘Yun ang dahilan [kung bakit] mabagal ang procession,” Sinas added.

(When the carriage leaves, police will guard both sides of the passageway so that the streets will be cleaner. We will not allow people to force their way into the andas.)

He added that after a meeting with church officials and other organizers, they are eyeing to finish the Traslacion by 5 a.m. or 6 a.m.

Sinas noted that if their security plan plotted for the Thanksgiving procession becomes successful, they will adopt it for the day-long Traslacion on January 9 next year.

The Thanksgiving procession, which begins the nine-day novena to the Black Nazarene, will start at 12 midnight on Tuesday (Dec. 31) at Quiapo Church.

For the Thanksgiving parade, Sinas said he already deployed around 10,000 policemen from Metro Manila police.

Edited by JPV