A large crowd of Filipino Catholics participated in the annual procession of the Black Nazarene statue in Manila on Friday. This event draws millions of devotees.
The wooden Jesus the Nazarene statue was transported on a carriage through nearly six kilometers of Manila's roads. Approximately 15,000 police officers, supported by intelligence agents, were deployed for security. Authorities implemented bans on firearms, liquor, drones, and backpacks, and jammed cellphone signals along the procession route.
Medical teams treated over 250 worshippers for minor injuries by midday. Tragically, a Filipino photographer collapsed and died while being transported to a hospital before the procession began.
Devotees, many wearing maroon shirts, sought to touch the statue or towels wiped on it, believing it could provide cures for ailments and bring good health, employment, and improved living conditions.
This year's procession occurred amidst increasing public disapproval regarding a corruption scandal. This scandal, which emerged last year, involves allegations that dozens of legislators received kickbacks from construction companies for substandard or uncompleted flood control projects. Several government engineers and construction executives have been detained and are facing trials. Concerns have been raised over delays in fulfilling President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s promise to jail implicated legislators.
During the procession, some worshippers chanted, "jail them now." The alleged anomalies date back to the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte and potentially involve numerous government officials. Reports of opulent lifestyles among some officials have led to public protests.
Bishop Rufino Sescon, in his homily before the procession, commented on officials implicated in the scandal who have not resigned despite public sentiment. He urged them to step down voluntarily, citing the impact on the people and the nation. Devotee Venus Lopez echoed these sentiments, expressing a desire for corrupt officials to be removed from power and stating her intention to pray for this outcome.
The life-size statue, depicting Jesus crowned with thorns and bearing a cross, is believed to have been brought from Mexico to Manila in 1606. It reportedly survived a ship fire, leading some to believe in its mystical powers, further evidenced by its endurance through centuries of fires, earthquakes, and World War II bombings. The procession highlights a unique expression of Catholicism, which incorporates folk superstitions, in the Philippines.