Five minutes that can save lives and build trust

Trust is an important factor in public safety. When people trust the authorities to always be there to keep them safe during times of natural disaster or from criminal elements, a strong partnership between government and citizens is forged.

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The Philippine National Police’s (PNP) new five-minute response policy—successfully demonstrated before President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. during the 124th Police Service Anniversary on Aug. 12 — is a decisive step toward rebuilding public confidence in the country’s law enforcement. In emergencies, five minutes can mean the difference between life and death, capture or escape, trust or skepticism.

From June 2, when PNP Chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III launched the initiative, to Aug. 10, the PNP received 3,574 calls to the 911 hotline requiring police assistance. Of these, nearly 94 percent were acted upon within five minutes. This is not a hollow statistic—it is nine out of 10 calls answered swiftly.