SAN JUAN, Philippines — Catholic zealots were nailed to wooden crosses while others whipped their backs bloody and raw in gruesome displays of religious devotion on Good Friday in the Philippines. In San Juan village, north of Manila, hundreds of residents and tourists watched a blood-soaked re-enactment of Jesus Christ's last moments. Blood ran down their backs, soaking the top of their trousers and splattering spectators crowded in front of shops and houses. Some flagellants stopped to prostrate on the ground so they could be beaten with flip-flops and pieces of wood. The spectacle has been performed in villages around San Fernando city for decades, but the crucifixions were cancelled for the past three years due to Covid-19.
