President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday acknowledged the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) strides in restoring public trust, citing improved services such as faster response to distress calls. However, he urged the police force to take stronger and more responsive actions to further rebuild confidence in law enforcement.
Speaking at the 124th Police Service Anniversary in Camp Crame, Quezon City, Marcos noted that crime incidents from June 2024 to June 2025 had declined compared to the previous year. Still, he said statistics alone cannot assure Filipinos of their safety.
“As public servants, we do not ask people to celebrate statistics if their experiences tell a different story,” the President said. “That is why we must regain the trust of the public through more decisive and responsive actions. And I believe the PNP is now on its right track.”
The President highlighted the PNP’s 5-Minute Response Time Strategy, describing it as a critical milestone in ensuring public safety.
“Five minutes, just a relatively small window of time, but five minutes can mean the difference between safety and danger; even between life and death,” Marcos said.
He also commended the PNP for revitalizing the Emergency 911 Hotline, which has become vital in responding swiftly to police assistance requests, interventions, and even search-and-rescue operations.
Marcos challenged the police to ensure that officers are always ready to respond—“rain or shine, during ordinary days and more so, in times of crisis.”
“This is how we rebuild the trust—that the police will come, no matter what time, no matter what the circumstance is, they will arrive. We owe our people a system that they can rely on,” he stressed.
Ahead of the ceremony, Marcos and Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla attended a demonstration of the 5-Minute Response Time at the PNP Command Center’s monitoring room.
PNP Chief Gen. Nicolas Torre reported that the hotline has logged 16 million calls, of which 10 million were actionable and given an appropriate response. In Metro Manila, he added, the police resolved 94 percent of calls for help within the five-minute window.
With reports from the Philippine Information Agency (PIA)
