PNP chief Rommel Francisco Marbil —Photo from PNP FB page
MANILA, Philippines – Police units must respond to requests for assistance within three minutes of the call being made to the government’s revitalized emergency hotline 911, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said on Sunday.
He said he issued the order in the hope of elevating the public’s trust and confidence in the ability of the 230,000-strong police organization to give aid to people during emergencies.
“Every Filipino deserves a quick and efficient police response, regardless of their location or status. The revitalized 911 hotline is not just a technological improvement; it is a crucial component of our mission to make every community feel secure and supported by the PNP,” Marbil said in a statement.
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Last week, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) simulated the 911 emergency hotline service at Camp Crame, the PNP headquarters in Quezon City, saying it was faster and more effective in handling distress calls than the old system.
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It is also comparable to those in the United States and Europe, officials said.
56-second demo
During last week’s demonstration of the E911, a call-to-police response took only about 56 seconds.
The new E911 system, which replaces Patrol 117, incorporates advanced technology designed to reduce response times and improve coordination among emergency services, according to the PNP.
The second-class municipality of Morong in Rizal province was the first town to be equipped with the “next generation” 911 technology in May.
“Our citizens rely on us during emergencies, and we have to ensure that every 911 call is met with the swift and effective response it deserves,” Marbil said.
“This directive is more than just a procedural requirement—it reflects our unwavering commitment to serve and protect the Filipino people, ensuring peace and safety across the nation,” he said.
The PNP chief called on the public to use the 911 service responsibly.
Bernard delos Santos of E911 National Call Center said last week that the new system could easily filter and tag prank and spam callers.
The E911 uses the Next Generation Advanced 911 System, a global innovator of emergency calling technology and a leader in next generation emergency communications.
“With the new system, all those spam or prank callers, first and foremost, they can identify and locate because of the capabilities of the new system [with] GPS,” Delos Santos said.
Legitimate calls
He added that under the previous system, the hotline would receive around 50,000 calls a day with only about 500 legitimate calls. Under the new system, the hotline has been receiving 700 legitimate calls out of a total of 30,000, Delos Santos said.
The advanced emergency response system was an offshoot of a memorandum of understanding signed by the DILG, NGA 911 and telecommunications firm PLDT Inc.
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Some of the features provided include precise caller location services, advanced mapping and incident management systems, data analytics, video streaming, omnichannel messaging, and integration of body and vehicle cameras in responding to emergencies. INQ