The Philippine National Police’s (PNP) response time to 911 calls has shown marked improvement, with some urban areas now achieving the targeted five-minute reaction time, according to Police Lt. Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo, PNP deputy chief for Operations.
To reinforce this progress, Okubo said the PNP has been conducting daily police response exercises in key locations across the country, particularly in Metro Manila and other urban areas.
“Based on our data, there are major cities where the five-minute police response is already working,” he noted, citing Quezon City as an example, where response times have dropped to as quick as three minutes.
The 911 system works by connecting callers to PNP operators, who then relay concerns to the nearest police stations.
“We have been practicing this every day to ensure fast police service,” Okubo emphasized.
The initiative builds on the earlier commitment of PNP Chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III, who pledged to establish a five-minute response benchmark upon taking office. Torre also led enhancements to the PNP Command Center and regional command hubs, addressed technical glitches, and ensured all police radio trunk lines were functional to make the system more reliable.
Despite these improvements, Okubo acknowledged that response times in some areas still range between seven to 10 minutes.
“But as they say, constant practice makes it perfect,” he said.
Okubo added that Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla has promised additional equipment and vehicles to further enhance response capabilities.
“We are all working together to improve police services, so our kababayan can receive assistance as quickly as possible,” he said. (Aaron Recuenco)
