8 NCR police chiefs sacked for slow emergency response

Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel. | File photo courtesy of PNP via PNA

MANILA, Philippines — Eight chiefs of police in the National Capital Region (NCR) were relieved from their posts for failing to comply with the Philippine National Police’s order to respond to emergency calls within five minutes.

PNP Chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III announced on Monday the relief of the officers, warning that “more” will soon face the same disciplinary action.

Torre said the affected chiefs of police (COPs) were from Caloocan, Navotas, Valenzuela, Mandaluyong, Marikina, San Juan, Parañaque and Makati. No other details about them were provided.

READ: MCPO plans command center to cut response time to 3 minutes

“We already relieved eight, and there will be more because I was there in Central Visayas yesterday in Iloilo and we issued caution to the provincial directors,” Torre said in an interview after the flag-raising ceremony at the Quezon City Hall.

PNP standards

Torre also said more police officers will be relieved and more positions will be open to those who will be qualified to meet the PNP’s standards.

“We will declare those positions open, so we will give chances to those who are interested and qualified to comply with the standards,” Torre noted.

Torre explained that the decision to relieve the officials is “not about the radio itself” but “about accomplishing the mission.”

He added that the five-minute response will not be fulfilled without command from the COPs.

“I want them to actually command, not only figuratively but literally. They can issue the command over the radio or in a communication that they prefer,” Torre said.

The PNP has set the emergency response time at five minutes in pilot areas in Metro Manila.

Torre earlier said that the five-minute response time will be cut to three minutes within the next three months.

When previously asked about the sanctions police officers will face if they fail to respond to the five-minute target, Torre answered: “Their bodies will hurt. I have trained them, and we will make sure that they will comply with it. So drill, drill, drill, and more drills will be the key.”