ILIGAN CITY -- The annual long procession here was relatively calm despite security threats said City Vice Mayor Jeemar Lucero Vera Cruz.
“The government forces have joint relentless efforts to secure and protect the people in celebration of the feast of St. Michael,” said city vice mayor.
Thousands of Roman Catholic devotees flocked and joined the long procession Tuesday, September 20, which marked the start of the nine-day novena for the feast of St. Michael, the city’s patron saint.
“The police has deployed sufficient men with the support from the military forces through the 4th Mechanized Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army,” said Police Senior Superintendent Leony Roy Ga, police city director.
“The joint police and military checkpoints set up in entrance and exit point of Iligan City conduct 24/7 monitoring of incoming vehicles and individual passengers to ensure safety,” he added.
Ga urged residents to be more vigilant and report to proper authorities if there are suspected personalities with unusual movement or any unattended object.
The city has been receiving bomb threats lately and festivals like this have always been the center of security threats.
Luisa Carmelotes, a resident of barangay Tambacan, now 56, was one of the survivors of an Easter Sunday grenade blast in front of St. Michael’s Cathedral on April 19, 1992 .
“Akong igsoon nga babaye usa sa mga namatay sa pag buto sa Granada," said Carmelotes.
“Gumikan sa akong hugot pag to-o kang Senior San Miguel, nabuhi pa ko human sa pag boto sa granada. Samtang buhi pa ko maga padayun akong debosyun kang Senior San Miguel," Carmelotes said.
Dubbed as “Pag pakanaug sa imahen ni Senyor San Miguel”, the procession has always been a milestone for every Iliganon.
“The lowering of the image of St. Michael is a dramatization of saint’s gesture of humility wherein the taking off of St. Michael's helmet, crown wings and wardrobe is the submission of self to the supreme power. Second is that St. Michael joined the community in its struggle for a change,” said Vera Cruz, a former priest of the city diocese.