A 42-year-old man faces criminal charges after causing panic among churchgoers at the Quiapo Church early Friday morning by yelling a false bomb threat.

Manila Police District chief P/Col. Thomas Ibay identified the suspect as Dennis Espejo Garcia, a resident of Quezon City.

According to church security guard Michael Tamayo, Garcia's words sparked panic among devotees at around 5:30 a.m. Tamayo said he confronted Garcia and alerted the police officers stationed at the church perimeter.

The Quiapo Church has been under heightened security for the annual nine-day Traslacion procession leading up to the 9 January Feast of the Black Nazarene, which draws hundreds of thousands of Catholic devotees.

The Traslacion commemorates the transfer of the Black Nazarene from its shrine inside Intramuros to the Quiapo Church in the late 1700s. Miracles had been attributed to the icon.

Police have classified the Quiapo area and the routes of the Traslacion as "red alert" security zones.

Garcia is facing a complaint for violating Presidential Decree 1727, which penalizes the "malicious dissemination of false information or the willful making of any threat concerning bombs, explosives, or any similar device or means of destruction."

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment, a fine of P40,000, or both.

Following recommendations from Ibay, Mayor Honey Lacuna has ordered a temporary liquor ban from 8 to 10 January in the vicinity of Quiapo. Additionally, a gun ban is in effect throughout the same period.

At the request of the Quiapo Church and fire authorities, firecrackers are also prohibited in the area during the Traslacion.

Lacuna also ordered a thorough route inspection for hazards like open manholes that could tilt the carriage carrying the Black Nazarene, causing delays or accidents.

To manage the influx of visitors, extensive traffic rerouting will be implemented on Monday and Tuesday, 8 to 9 January.