Commending the efforts of more than 18,000 police officers, Philippine National Police acting chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez, Jr. declared the record-breaking 31-hour Jesus Nazareno Traslacion peaceful and orderly.
Nartatez praised ground commanders and uniformed personnel for their perseverance and discipline during the longest procession, which once again highlighted the deep faith and devotion of millions of Filipino devotees.
“This is a remarkable display of discipline, perseverance, and commitment to our mandate of serving and protecting the people,” Nartatez said.
Despite fatigue and inadequate sleep, police personnel stood their ground to ensure public safety and crowd control management were strictly implemented.
Nartatez commended their ability to make real-time adjustments to security plans, which contributed to the peaceful and meaningful conduct of the event.
The Traslacion began at 4 a.m. on January 9 at the Quirino Grandstand and concluded at 10:50 a.m. the following day when the “andas” carrying the revered image of the Jesus Nazareno entered Quiapo Church.
Nartatez emphasized that the professionalism and operational readiness of police personnel prevented major untoward incidents.
He expressed sympathy over three reported fatalities—a photojournalist and two devotees—due to medical issues, while extending gratitude to government agencies, media, and the public for their cooperation.
“Overall, we consider the Traslacion generally peaceful and orderly despite the sheer volume of devotees. This reflects the professionalism, discipline, and dedication of our police personnel who were deployed from the start of the series of activities up to the execution of the security plan,” he added.
While minor injuries and medical concerns were recorded, Nartatez stressed that the nearly 31-hour procession was concluded without major incidents, with the Black Nazarene safely reaching its destination at Quiapo Church. (Aaron Recuenco)
