Thousands in Manila join procession of Christs icon

• AFP, MANILA

Tens of thousands of Filipino Catholics yesterday twirled white cloths and chanted “Viva, viva,” as a centuries-old statue of Jesus Christ was paraded through the streets of Manila in the nation’s biggest annual religious event.

The day-long procession began before dawn, with barefoot volunteers pulling the heavy carriage through narrow streets where the devout waited in hopes of touching the icon, believed to hold miraculous powers.

Thousands of police were deployed to manage crowds that officials believe could number in the millions by the time the statue reaches its home in central Manila’s Quiapo church around midnight.

More than 800 people had sought medical attention along the cloudy but humid parade route by early afternoon.

One man, a local photojournalist, died of an apparent heart attack while covering the event, according to the Presidential Task Force on Media Security.

This year’s festival of Jesus the Nazarene comes on the heels of deadly typhoons, earthquakes and a high-level corruption scandal that has rocked the archipelago nation of 116 million people.

“For this year, my wish is for the [political] system in the Philippines to change and for the corrupt people to disappear from the face of the Earth,” said Manila resident Jose Borbon, a 23-year-old who drives a horse carriage for tourists. “Nothing is impossible if you pray to him.”

Scores of politicians and officials have been implicated in a scandal over “ghost” flood-control projects that purportedly cost taxpayers billions of dollars, but were either never built or shoddily constructed.

Bishop Rufino Sescon called on those involved to stand down during a homily before Friday’s procession began.

“In our country today, some people refuse to step down despite having done bad things or become deadweights, or made the poor suffer, even though the country is drowning in floods,” Sescon said. “Shame on you. Please step down for the people’s sake.”

The annual religious parade commemorates the arrival of the wooden statue of Christ from Mexico in the early 1600s.

Many believe the statue got its dark color when it survived a fire aboard the Spanish ship that carried it to the Philippines, leading to it being known colloquially as the “Black Nazarene.”

Crowd estimates for the procession and its final destination had topped 200,000 people by 1pm.

Gerry Asuncion, 62, a traffic officer in a Manila suburb, took two days off along with many of his coworkers to be at the parade.

“We were poor once, but I have achieved all my dreams — a car, a good family, a house… My children are healthy and we never want for anything. Each Friday, I go to Quiapo church to pray and give thanks,” he said.