EIGHT CHIEFTS of police in Metro Manila have been relieved from their post for failure to comply with the five-minute response policy, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III said on Monday.
“May walo kami ngayon na narelieve (We have already relieved eight),” Torre said in an interview after the flag-raising ceremony at the Quezon City Hall.
The relieved are chiefs of police in the cities of Caloocan, Navotas, Valenzuela, Mandaluyong, Marikina, San Juan, Parañaque and Makati.
“There will be more because I was there in Central Visayas yesterday (June 15) in Iloilo and I cautioned some provincial commanders there,” he said.
Torre visited Central Visayas to personally determine the current situation pertaining to his “Serve and Protect” policy.
“We will declare those positions open so that other interested and qualified police commanders would be given the opportunity to comply with our standard,” he said.
He said chiefs of police should be more active in maximizing the deployment of their officers.
“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 want,” he added.
Torre implemented the five-minute police response when he was still director of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD).
This strategy signals a major departure from traditional precinct-based policing, ensuring swift response to calls for help at any hour.
“That is our commitment to the President and to the Filipino people. So, if they can’t cope up with it, if they can’t step up to that standard, we will look for commanders who will do so,” he said. (Christopher Lloyd Caliwan)
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