WITH last month’s bombing of a Catholic Mass in Marawi City at the back of their minds, police officials here are preparing an elaborate security plan to secure the annual procession of the Black Nazarene on January 9.
City police director for operations Lt. Colonel. Rey Gaudencio Taboclaon said they are deploying more than 500 police and Army soldiers to form a tight ring around the replica of the Black Nazarene procession as it winds its way on the streets of Cagayan de Oro.
Barefoot devotees who call themselves “Hijos de Nazareno” will carry the life-sized, dark-skinned wooden sculpture of the Black Nazarene, just like their counterparts in Quiapo, Manila.
Thousands of devotees are expected to attend Cagayan de Oro’s version of the Traslacion or the procession in honor of the Feast of Black Nazarene, which is similar but much tamer than that of Quiapo.
“We will be deploying more police and Army during the procession. We will not be saying how many but we don’t want any surprises,” Taboclaon told reporters during the security briefing for the procession on Wednesday.
Taboclaon said what happened in Mindanao State University on December 3 is on the back of their minds as they prepare for the security plan for the Black Nazarene procession, an annual Catholic event that draws thousands of devotees from all over Mindanao.
“We have not received any information of any threat but it is better to be over-prepared,” he said.
Cagayan de Oro Vicar General Monsignor Perseus Cabunoc said the “Callejeron” or the replica of the Black Nazarene would be ferried by a convoy of vehicles from Jesus Nazareno parish church in Barangay Lapasan to the St. Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral on January 8.
Cabunoc said the public viewing of the Black Nazarene would be held until midnight at the St. Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral on January 8.
He said the religious icon of the Jesus Nazareno Parish Church would be returned in a procession called “Traslacion” to its shrine in Jesus Nazareno parish church in Barangay Lapasan.
Cabunoc said the practice of devotees throwing towels and handkerchiefs to be rubbed on the image of the Black Nazarene is being discouraged during the procession.
Cabunoc said the Cagayan de Oro archdiocese has placed the security of the religious event to the police, traffic officials, and medical responders.
“Even I am scared of the prospects of somebody bombing the religious procession,” he said.
Cabunoc said that the image of the Black Nazarene will be brought to St . Agustine Metropolitan Church where a mass and a vigil from 9 pm to 12 am will take place.
Taboclaon said all mobile phone communications would be jammed from 5 am to 8 am when the “traslacion” would start from the cathedral to the parish church.
He said police mobile checkpoints in the borders of the city with Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, and Bukidnon would implement a strict check on all incoming vehicles at the same time.
Taboclaon said devotees are discouraged from bringing backpacks and wearing hats during the procession.
He said teams of policemen in civilian clothes would go along with the procession to enforce the rule on backpacks and hats.
Road and Traffic Authority (RTA) chief Nonito Oclarit said they would drive away vendors from the St. Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral and the Jesus Nazareno parish church on January 8 and 9.
Oclarit said as part of the security plan, they would implement a strict no-parking zone for all vehicles around the cathedral and the parish church. (With reports from Shiela Mae Butlig)
