3 million join Philippine procession despite terror threat

Jan 9, 2012, 10:42 GMT

Manila - Some 3 million Catholics Monday joined a religious procession in the Philippines despite warnings of a terrorist threat to disrupt the annual pilgrimage that left hundreds injured.

A sea of barefoot, maroon-clad men and women swarmed around the Black Nazarene, a centuries-old, life-size statue of a dark-skinned Jesus Christ, as it was paraded on a carriage around central Manila.

The devotees pushed and shoved to wipe cloths on the idol or the carriage in the belief that it has healing powers. Many jumped on the backs of others to get nearer the statue.

A stampede broke out at the start of the 6-kilometre procession en route to Quiapo Church from a seaside grandstand in Manila, while the carriage suffered mechanical problems.

At least 324 people suffered minor injuries, according to the Red Cross and other emergency services.

Police Director General Nicanor Bartolome estimated the crowd at about 3 million, while 3,000 more were inside the Quiapo Church.

The devotees ignored government warnings of a possible terrorist attack during the procession. More than 10,000 police and hundreds of soldiers guarded the event that was expected to end around midnight.

'This is part of our sacrifice,' said 50-year-old Malou Empedrado. 'The Black Nazarene will take care of us. He will not let anything happen to us.'

The mother of three said it was her third year at the event.

'The Black Nazarene really creates miracles for those who believe, and I'm praying for one so my mother who just suffered a stroke will get better.'

Onyok Tumilang, a 20-year-old man who suffers from a limp after being hit by a stray bullet, said he joined the procession in the hope that he would be healed.

'I got nervous about the warning of a terrorist threat but I really wanted to go for my healing,' he said.

President Benigno Aquino III on Sunday warned that terrorists were plotting to disrupt the procession and urged devotees to be vigilant.

The police chief said the warning was issued after up to nine suspected terrorists were spotted in Manila ahead of the festival.

'These suspects are from the southern region of Mindanao and they are known to be involved in the planning of disruptive activities,' Bartolome said.

The Black Nazarene is said to have been brought to the Philippines by a Spanish priest from Mexico in 1606. Its feast is one of the most celebrated religious events in the predominantly Catholic country, where more than 80 per cent of the population professes the faith.