PNP chief promises 5-min 911 response in Metro Manila

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III promised Wednesday to respond to 911 calls within five minutes in Metro Manila and other urban centers, starting the implementation immediately.

Torre invited media outlets to test the PNP's response time over the next month and emphasized that officers will be dispatched based on caller locations.

He ordered police stations to accept all complaints or reports from the public and deactivated some police boxes to keep more officers on patrol.

Now expanding this program nationwide, Torre said he would rather have policemen walking the streets than stationed in offices, noting that this practice was first implemented during his tenure as director of the Quezon City Police District.

The PNP chief also announced an eight-hour duty policy for police personnel in Metro Manila and urban centers with 24-hour needs to ensure well-being and efficiency.

While the five-minute response time is set for highly urbanized areas, Torre said that the police will respond at a reasonable time in far-flung regions due to logistical challenges.