CEBU CITY — Police confirmed that a woman claiming to be a vlogger was taken into custody after she disrupted the Penitential Walk with Jesus procession in Cebu City on Thursday, January 8. The event, which marked the start of the 461st Fiesta Señor honoring the Señor Santo Niño, drew an estimated 240,000 devotees from Fuente Osmeña to the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño.

According to reports from GMA Integrated News, the suspect physically assaulted devotees by kicking and spitting on them. Video footage also showed her striking a police officer who was attempting to pacify her. Authorities said she even damaged a motorcycle during the incident.

The woman admitted her actions, claiming she was intoxicated at the time. “Hindi na ako nakapagpigil. May sinipa akong isang tao, may dinuraan. Hindi ko na kasi alam ‘yun eh,” she said in an interview. She added that she and her companions had been drinking before the procession and insisted she did not intend to harm anyone.

Police officers quickly restrained her and brought her to the station for questioning. She now faces charges related to physical assault, public disturbance, and possible damage to property.

The Penitential Walk with Jesus is one of the most solemn traditions of the Fiesta Señor, beginning at 4 a.m. and concluding with the arrival of the image of the Santo Niño at the Basilica for the Opening Salvo Mass. The annual procession is considered a major religious event in Cebu, drawing hundreds of thousands of devotees who walk barefoot in prayer and penance.

This year’s incident has sparked concern among organizers and devotees, who emphasized the need for stricter crowd management and security measures to prevent disruptions. The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) had deployed personnel along the route to ensure safety, but the vlogger’s actions highlighted the challenges of maintaining order in such massive gatherings.

As the Fiesta Señor continues with its series of religious activities leading up to the grand Sinulog festival, authorities have assured devotees that they will remain vigilant to prevent similar incidents.

Viral Moments Should Not Come From Violence

Calling oneself a vlogger does not turn chaos into content. What happened during the Penitential Walk was not a stunt, not expression, and not entertainment. It was violence.

There is a growing pattern where disruption is treated as a shortcut to attention. Shocking behavior gets clicks. Outrage fuels reach. The line between visibility and criminality blurs, and sacred spaces become backdrops for clout. That normalization is dangerous.

Public gatherings, especially religious ones, rely on restraint and respect to keep thousands safe. When harm becomes a way to go viral, everyone is put at risk.

Law enforcement acted correctly by intervening. Accountability matters because tolerance sends the wrong signal.

So the question we should ask is simple but urgent: will society keep rewarding chaos for clicks, or finally draw a hard line where content ends and crime begins?