MANILA – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is investigating possible lapses in the 911 emergency system after an ambulance response to a suspected heart attack in Taguig City was reportedly delayed for hours, with the 71-year-old patient eventually dying despite his son’s efforts to keep him alive through cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the probe would determine what happened after the emergency call was received and referred to local responders, including a possible breakdown in the turnover of the case between shifts.
According to Remulla, the 911 center received the call shortly after 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 15, and endorsed it to the Taguig Command Center at 12:17 p.m.
The caller was seeking urgent medical assistance for his father, who was suffering from a suspected heart attack in Maharlika Village.
Despite the prompt referral, however, subsequent follow-ups reportedly failed to establish whether an ambulance had actually been dispatched or had reached the patient.
Remulla said follow-up inquiries at 4:57 p.m. and 5:56 p.m. yielded no clear confirmation regarding the ambulance’s dispatch or arrival. Authorities also flagged a possible lapse in the turnover of the case between shifts.
“Director Francis [Fajardo] has already documented the incident for immediate investigation,” Remulla said.
The incident drew public attention after the patient’s son, identified in reports as Basty Askri, took to social media to recount his experience and criticize what he described as a lengthy wait for emergency assistance.
Askri said he repeatedly tried to reach 911 as his father’s condition deteriorated. With no immediate medical responders available, he performed CPR himself in an effort to keep his father alive.
When an ambulance eventually arrived, Askri said it did not have an automated external defibrillator (AED) and lacked sufficient equipment. He also claimed the responders did not relieve him while he was performing CPR.
His father later died despite efforts to save him.
Askri said he shared his experience not merely to vent his anger but to call attention to what he believes are serious weaknesses in the country’s emergency response system.
The DILG investigation is expected to determine where the response chain broke down and whether personnel responsible for handling and endorsing the emergency call committed lapses that contributed to the delay./PN
