MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE 5) At least two people died amid the procession of the Black Nazarene Saturday, the Philippine National Red Cross confirmed.
PNRC Secretary General Gwen Pang told INQUIRER.net that the fatalities were identified as Rodrigo Ocampo, 42, and Bernardo Basilio, 40.
Pang said Ocampo died of cardiac arrest at the Ospital ng Maynila while Basilio died of multiple injuries at the Jose Reyes Hospital.
The PNRC also reported that as of 2 p.m., a total of 221 devotees were provided first aid treatment for various health conditions ranging from dizziness to foot injuries.
Some of the devotees also experienced high blood pressure and lack of oxygen.
More than a million people joined the procession that started at about 8 a.m. at the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta following a mass officiated by Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales.
"The volunteers took the patients’ BPs [blood pressures] and gave them first aid such as wound cleansing and dressing," PNRC chairman Richard Gordon said.
Gordon added that a devotee was also rushed to the Ospital ng Maynila due to head injuries.
A PNRC volunteer identified the victim with the head injuries as Adelina Bautista, 80 and resident of Pasay City, who was accidentally hit by a steel bar.
The PNRC has deployed nine ambulances, three rubber boats, and 227 volunteers around Manila to aid devotees during the procession.
Red Cross teams are deployed in the following areas: Rizal team, at the Muelle del Banco National at the foot of Mc Arthur Bridge (Sta. Cruz bridge) Escolta area; Quezon City and National Headquarters (NHQ) team, at Prudential Bank (Sta. Cruz); Valenzuela team, at Carriedo Sta. Cruz; Manila and NHQ team, at the Quiapo Church (711/City State); and the Emergency Response Unit (WaSar) team, under the Mc Arthur Bridge in Binondo.
Earlier in the day, Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay, Manila Police District head, said some devotees suffered foot injuries as they walked barefoot. Their identities were not disclosed.
Wacky Cataquis of Laguna, 25, and Alberto Tolosa of Tondo both experienced difficulty of breathing as they were crushed by the crowd that tried to get close to the image of the Black Nazarene that is expected to be in Quiapo Church at about 6 p.m.
Police estimated that there were 1.3 million people who gathered at the Quirino Grandstand.
A total of 1,500 policemen from the MPD were deployed throughout the procession route to secure the crowd.
The devotees, wearing maroon and yellow, gathered early Saturday at the Luneta to hear mass officiated by Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales.
In his homily, Rosales challenged the devotees to be like the Black Nazarene, who was simple, humble, and charitable.
"Mamuhay kayo ng simple katulad niya. Siya'y larawan ng kababaang-loob. Marunong siyang dumamay. Dalhin natin 'yung tatlong ugali ni Hesus hanggang sa ating pag-uwi [Live like him. He is a symbol of humility. He knows how to comfort. Let us bring the three values of Jesus even when we go home]," said Rosales.
The celebration is a reminder of what transpired four centuries ago when the image of the Black Nazarene was brought from Bagumbayan (now Luneta) to Quiapo.
Manila City Mayor Alfredo Lim, the Hermano Mayor, attended the concelebrated mass.
But even before the mass ended, the devotees outside the barricade tried to enter the stage area to get closer to the image of the Nazarene.
With their white handkerchiefs, the devotees waved as the priest asked them to pray for miracles in their lives.
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