Mindanaotoday.com | Police: No report of threats during Black Nazarene ‘traslacion’ in Oro
By: Jigger Jerusalem
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – In the run-up to one of the biggest religious events in the country, the local police of Cagayan de Oro have not received any form of threat from any group or individual that could disrupt the observance of the Feast of the Black Nazarene as police and civilian volunteers are ready to secure the thousands of Roman Catholic devotees coming from all over Mindanao who will converge here and join the activities Monday, Jan. 9.
“Based on information gathered by our intelligence units on the ground, there are no threats could occur during the Black Nazarene feast especially during the ‘traslacion,’” said Lt. Col. Evan Viñas, the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) spokesperson, in a press conference held at the Nazareno parish Friday afternoon, Jan. 7.
But, Viñas said, authorities will nevertheless implement the jamming of cellphone signals on the day of the feast, although he did not specify the duration of the disruption for “security reasons.”
In the same media briefing, Lt. Col. Jelesis Teves, chief of Cocpo’s city operations and management unit, said about 2,198 police officers and civilian volunteers will be deployed to escort the statue of the Black Nazarene during the “traslacion” or procession from the St. Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral to the Nazareno church Monday morning.
“There will be four layers of security that will form a human barricade around the Black Nazarene composed of the Hijos del Nazareno, police officers from various units, the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team, and the barangay tanods,” Teves said.
Small teams of law enforcers, including snipers positioned on top of buildings, will also be stationed along the route of the procession and even on the city’s borders.
Teves said the city’s five border control checkpoints will also be on alert to screen people entering Cagayan de Oro on the day of the feast.
With the law enforcers and force multipliers are the medical teams and other frontliners ready to respond to any emergency before, during and after the “traslacion.”
Msgr. Perseus Cabunoc, the Nazareno parish priest, has reminded the devotees to observe the minimum public health standards, specifically the wearing of face masks, during the entire religious proceedings.
According to the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro, the transfer of the image of the Black Nazarene to the St. Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral, where an overnight vigil was also held, was scheduled Sunday, Jan. 8.
On the feast day, the religious activity will start with a Holy Mass at the Cathedral at 4:00 in the morning.
The “traslacion” from the Cathedral to the Nazareno church will start at 6:00 a.m.
The route of traslacion: Cathedral – Fernandez St. – A. Velez St., then right turn to Claro M. Recto Avenue, then back to the Jesus Nazareno Church. (MT)
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