Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III said that police officers would respond to 911 calls in the National Capital Region (NCR) within five minutes, with this lasting for three months.

In a Palace press briefing on Wednesday, Torre said the three-minute quick response of police officers, initially conducted when he was Quezon City Police District Director,"will be replicated first in Metro Manila, major centers in the country, and later on nationwide".

"It will be five minutes first in NCR. So don't look for us (policemen) at the precincts because we are already on your phones. Dial 911 and we will be there within five minutes," Torre said.

Meanwhile, Torre said that he also plans to close police boxes and police community precincts (PCP) as part of the quick response system wherein they are expected to receive calls from 911 instead.

"So they will patrol the streets or ride their mobile and the main bottom line is they will always have a radio", Torre added. Marie Manalili/DMS