ASEANEWS HEADLINE-LIFE+STYLE-RELIGION | MANILA, Philippine: Traslacion held amid outrage vs corruption

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Traslacion 2026: 8 million devotees expected for feast of Jesus Nazareno | ANC

Dateline Philippines: A sea of devotees, expected to reach some 8 million according to authorities, filled the streets of Manila Friday (January 9) for the Traslacion of the feast of Jesus Nazareno.

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MANILA, Philippines — A massive crowd of devotees joined the annual Traslacion of the Black Nazarene in Manila yesterday, with some using the gathering to express outrage over a corruption scandal related to flood control projects.

After a midnight mass at the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park, the Black Nazarene statue was placed on a four-wheel carriage before dawn at the start of the procession.

In his homily during the mass, Bishop Rufino Sescon Jr. criticized government officials who have been implicated in the corruption scandals, but have refused to resign despite public outrage.

About 15,000 police officers, backed by intelligence agents, were deployed to keep order. Authorities imposed a gun and liquor ban, prohibited drones and backpacks and jammed cellphone signals along the route of the procession.

Hundreds of thousands of devotees, many wearing maroon shirts imprinted with images of the Nazarene, jostled and scrambled to get near the carriage carrying the statue by mid-morning.

Many tried to climb up the carriage or threw small towels at volunteers on the carriage to wipe parts of the cross and the statue, in the belief that the Nazarene could cure ailments and help provide good health, jobs and a better life.

This year’s Traslacion coincided with growing public outrage over the corruption scandal, which erupted last year and implicated dozens of members of the House of Representative and the Senate who allegedly received huge kickbacks from construction companies.

‘Have some shame, step down’

“In our country today, there are those who refuse to step down even though they made mistakes and got caught, even though they are causing hardship to the people, even though the poor are suffering, even though the country is being flooded and destroyed,” Sescon, bishop of Balanga, Bataan, said in his homily.

“Enough is enough. Have mercy on the people. Have some shame. Step down voluntarily in the name of mercy and love.” he said.

Sescon also backed the statement of Bishop Emeritus Antonio Tobias, who rebuked lawmakers and government officials over their alleged involvement in the massive corruption in infrastructure projects.

“Bishop Tobias is here. I will just follow what he said. Stop it. ‘It’s over. Have mercy on the people. Shame on you. You should voluntarily step down,’” Sescon added.

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Just like Jesus who “stepped down” from his divine nature, Sescon urged officials: “Step down voluntarily in the name of love and mercy. Let us learn from the Jesus Nazareno who stepped down willingly in the name of love.

“If Jesus Nazareno stepped down to uplift us, we are also called to help uplift our nation, uplift our countrymen, uplift the dignity of each other. Step down from personal interest for the good of all. Step away from silence when there is oppression and trickery. Step away from apathy towards empathy to the nation. Step away from sin towards genuine change,” Sescon added.

Venus Lopez, a 62-year-old devotee who carried a replica of the Nazarene statue, made a similar call.

“I hope those corrupt government officials will go away. They don’t deserve to be seated in power,” Lopez told The Associated Press, adding that she would pray to the Nazarene to help banish corrupt officials from government.

Sescon celebrated the Misa Mayor in lieu of Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula, who was summoned to the Vatican along with the world’s cardinals for an “extraordinary consistory” led by Pope Leo XIV.

‘Pahalik’ extended

The Pahalik of the Jesus Nazareno at the Quirino Grandstand was extended until 10 a.m. Friday, the Quiapo Church announced.

Nazareno 2026 spokesman Fr. Robert Arellano said the procession of the image of Jesus Nazareno began earlier than usual at 4 a.m., leaving the Quirino Grandstand after the dawn prayer.

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Arellano said surrounded by hundreds of Hijos del Nazareno, the andas carrying the iconic image passed the Manila Hotel and crossed Roxas Boulevard. An estimated 270,000 devotees were gathered at the grandstand area at the time, according to the Quiapo Church Command Post.

Arellano said organizers were satisfied with the start of the procession, noting it went according to plan.

“Everything we have encountered so far is very smooth and in proper order,” he said.

Messages

As millions of Filipino Catholic faithful commemorated the Feast of the Black Nazarene yesterday, President Marcos called on the public to carry the values of compassion, service and shared responsibility in daily life.

“As we mark this year’s Feast, I invite everyone not only to reach for the Nazareno’s image, but to let this devotion guide the way we think, act and help one another long after the procession has passed,” Marcos said in his message.

For her part, Vice President Sara Duterte said the celebration of the Feast of Jesus Nazareno affirms the strong faith of Filipinos.

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“Devotion to the Black Nazarene reminds us of Jesus’ unparalleled love, sacrifice and humility for humanity,” Duterte said in a video message.

Meanwhile, Speaker Faustino Dy III said the Traslacion is a reminder of the “daily crucifix” being carried by many Filipinos today.

‘Relatively peaceful’

Acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. yesterday said initial observations show a generally peaceful situation despite the massive turnout of devotees.

“As of now we haven’t monitored any criminal incidents or violent incidents as well as accidents,” he said.

Nartatez visited the PNP Command Center at Camp Crame where he checked the actual situation of the procession through closed-circuit television cameras.

Apart from 18,000 police officers, the PNP also deployed unmanned aerial drones in Manila as part of its security coverage for Traslacion.

Authorities expect this year’s crowd will exceed the 8.1 million turnout in 2025.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and ready to adjust our deployment as needed,” Nartatez said.

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Organizers of the 2026 Traslacion said the pace of this year’s procession remains similar to that of the 2024 Feast of the Jesus Nazarene, as the andas continued its slow but steady movement through Manila yesterday.

Alex Irasga, incident command head for Nazareno 2026, said that as of 12:45 p.m., the andas was along Carlos Palanca Street between P. Casal Street and Quezon Boulevard.

He noted that the procession matched last year’s benchmark, with the image covering about one kilometer in roughly one hour from Quirino Grandstand to the National Museum, similar to the 2024 Traslacion.

However, Irasga said the procession slowed significantly along Finance Road near Ayala Bridge, which he described as the most difficult stretch due to the large number of devotees.

Despite the slowdown, organizers said the andas and the image remained stable, with no major safety issues reported as of midday. — Helen Flores, Emmanuel Tupas, Jose Rodel Clapano, Mark Ernest Villeza,