Filipino Catholics marched the streets whipping themselves and lacerating their backs with razorblades in a bloody Easter ritual to atone for their sins in the otherwise peaceful town of Pakil, in Laguna province.
Masked religious devotees performed the acts of self-inflicted pain to mark the Holy Week.
The shocking scenes of self-flagellation are traditional in small towns of the primarily Catholic nation before Easter as a form of worship believed to cleanse sins, cure illness and grant wishes.
Despite condemnation from the Catholic Church, the group drew large crowds including children to line the sweltering streets and behold the extreme show of faith.
