The Quiapo Church confirmed the deaths of two devotees during the Traslacion 2026, the annual procession of the image of Jesus Nazareno from the Quirino Grandstand to Quiapo Church.
During a press conference on Saturday morning held by officials of the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno, Father Robert Arellano, spokesperson for the Nazareno 2026 feast day, said that around 1,700 medical cases were reported during the procession, including the two fatalities.
According to Arellano, the church is still in the process of gathering complete information regarding the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the two devotees who reportedly passed away during the procession on Friday.
Arellano said that in respect to the families of the two individuals who died and considering the availability of information provided to them, they refused to give further details
“We’re going to report the casualties once we have all the details already. Currently, mga sariwang bato pa lang ito ng impormasyon pero kailangan natin matunton talaga yung detalye ng ating dalawang casualties,” he said.
Arellano also clarified that the death of Tabloid photojournalist Itoh Son assigned to cover the Pahalik was not directly related to the Traslacion procession itself.
The photojournalist collapsed at the Manila Police District (MPD) Station 5 early Friday morning, before the Traslacion began.
Church officials emphasized that while the incident occurred during the Nazareno activities, it was not linked to the procession.
In total, three individuals were reported as casualties during the event. According to Arellano, two deaths were directly connected to the Traslacion, while one was considered indirect.
Despite the tragic incidents, Arellano assured the public that the Quiapo Church is prepared to extend assistance to the families of those who died, as well as to devotees who were injured during the event.
The 2026 Traslacion marked the longest procession of the image of the Black Nazarene, drawing more than 7.4 million devotees.
