5 penitents crucified in Bulacan chapel compound
PAOMBONG, Bulacan – Five penitents were crucified on wooden crosses inside the compound of the Santo Cristo Chapel in Barangay Kapitangan on Good Friday.
Three of the crucified penitents were from the province of Bulacan and two were from Negros.
Supt. Lynelle Solomon, Paombong police chief, identified the three Bulakenyo peni- tents as Rogelio Marcos, Precy Engracia Valencia and Buboy Dionisio, while the two from Negros were not immediately identified.
Thousands of devotees visited known pilgrimage sites in Bulacan particularly in Kapitangan in Paombong, Divine Mercy Shrine in Marilao town and Lourdes Grotto in the City of San Jose del Monte.
In Paombong, Solomon said devotees converged at the Santo Cristo Chapel on the eve of Holy Wednesday. The crowds peaked at noontime of Good Friday when the five penitents were nailed to wooden crosses to re-enact the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
The Paombong police were augmented by members of the Bulacan provincial police office, the local military unit and members of the barangay peacekeeping action teams (BPATs).
Supt. Fitz Macariola, San Jose del Monte city police chief, told The STAR up to 100,000 devotees visited the Grotto shrine on Maundy Thursday night.
Aside from isolated misdemeanors committed by a group of youths, no major incidents were reported in the pilgrimage site, Macariola noted.
He said that the devotees, however, left truckloads of trash at the Grotto.
Senior Supt. Romeo Caramat Jr., Bulacan police director, said law enforcers managed to keep peace and order after local police units set up security measures in different areas of convergence like pilgrimage sites, churches, bus terminals, point of entry and exit along North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) by means of establishing police assistance, motorist assistance and traffic assistance desks at the different cities and municipalities of Bulacan.
The provincial disaster risk reduction management office of Bulacan reported that medical assistance desks established in barangay Kapitangan in Paombong attended to 136 people and 94 at the Divince Mercy Shrine in Marilao, mostly due to high blood pressure.
The City of San Jose del Monte Rescue Hotline reported that among devotees going to the Grotto shrine on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, a total of 49 patients had their blood pressures checked, 26 were given medical assistance for various ailments.