Nearly half of 911 calls handiwork of pranksters

MANILA, Philippines — After one year of operation, the government’s unified 911 system has received 494,338 calls, but nearly half are the handiwork of pranksters who continue to defy warnings of arrest and prosecution.

Data from the Philippine National Police showed the emergency-service calls were made from Aug. 1, 2025 to Aug. 31 this year. Of the figure, the PNP said 223,253 or about 45.16 percent were prank calls.

The PNP said 132,232 or 26.74 percent were classified as legitimate emergency calls while the remaining 138,853 or 28.08 percent were found to be other calls.

Among the legitimate calls were 36,995 requests for medical assistance and 14,990 fire-related incidents.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla has warned pranksters that the 911 hotline has a tracking system, which can locate callers.

PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the police recorded 86,614 calls during the first year of implementation, with units responding within the five-minute benchmark to 96.38 percent of the calls.

Public order disturbances accounted for the largest share at 29,746 followed by 21,615 traffic-related incidents and 15,517 other law enforcement and judicial concerns.

“One year and more than 86,000 calls later, our task is clear: we have to keep making the system faster, more accessible and more dependable,” Nartatez said in a statement.

The hotline provides the public with a single emergency access point that has since expanded to nine command centers nationwide.

“For us in the PNP, 911 is not simply a number that people dial. It is a commitment that when someone reaches out for help, there is a system ready to receive that call and connect it to the people who can respond,” Nartatez said.