KORONADAL CITY — Philippine National Police chief General Nicolas Torre III called on the public “not to look for the police in the precincts,” but just dial 911, as law enforcers will respond to their call within five minutes.”
Torre claimed that dialing 911 for police assistance will work “anywhere in the country.”
He appealed to the public to call 911 when in distress, emergency, or reporting crimes to the police.
“To our fellow citizens, if you have a cell phone, call 911. Any town in the Philippines, call 911 and you will be connected,” Torre said, addressing it to people in emergencies who need assistance from the police.
He stressed that the police “are now actively rolling our 5-minute response time strategy through 911,” a hotline designed “to provide swift and compassionate police presence, especially in times of emergency.”
Torre was here on Friday as the keynote speaker for the 59th foundation anniversary and the 26th Tnalak festival of South Cotabato. He proudly admitted being a “son of South Cotabato.” He graduated from elementary and high school in this municipality.
According to the national police honcho, there’s no need anymore for citizens to memorize the cellphone numbers of their police stations, as 911 will connect callers to the station that they need assistance from.
“Just remember one number, 911, and somebody will answer you and will connect you to that station,” Torre said.
Whether you are residents of Koronadal, Banga, Tupi, or Tantangan in South Cotabato, Lutayan in Sultan Kudarat, Malungon in Sarangani, or Kidapawan in North Cotabato, call 911 and it will connect you to the needed station, he noted.
Torre said he is confident “the 911 system works.”
He narrated that three days ago, a call came from Panabo City, Davao del Norte, while they were having a simulation exercise in Camp Crame, the headquarters of the national police.
Torre added that they monitored in real time from the national command center the live police raid, following the call, that eventually led to the arrest of a suspect in possession of two guns and drugs.
In the past several weeks, police officers in this city have been conspicuously present in strategic places with their patrol cars, apparently in response to the directive of Torre for law enforcers to respond to crimes, untoward incidents, or emergency assistance within five minutes.
Torre said that peace and development are not separate goals but that they are intertwined.
“Economic activities thrive when law and order are firmly in place,” he said.
Torre called on the cooperation of the public in maintaining peace and order, saying that law enforcement is a task that the PNP cannot carry out alone.
He said that under the leadership of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the PNP envisions “a Bagong Pilipinas where no community is left behind and where peace and development walk hand in hand.” (Latigo Reportorial Team)
