Cebu City Police : Dial 166 / Dial 117
It’s around 7:30 – 7:50 in the evening last February 20, 2010 when I personally dialed Police emergency number 166.
Our neighbor, just a door fronting our house shouts to my father to dial 166 since his husband is again drunk and now is scandalously boxing their things inside. And of course, if his two sons will know there will be an argument and they might again use their force against their father. This scenario often happens to them.
My father did the favor but was not able to contact. And so I did.
It was a hell of experience calling an emergency number! Dialing 166 directs my call to Lapu-Lapu Police Station which is kilometers and an island away from Cebu City. I asked what then is the number of Mabolo Police Station and the police office provided me a number. The number dialed was only ringing! No one is answering the phone!
I remember there was this campaign before about 117 Emergency Line that you can ask information or direct you where you can call to any emergency Line like fire stations, police department and other emergency departments. But this was a mess as per experience!
I dialed the Emergency Line 117 and a personnel told me that he is from Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), asks me a brief description of the issue and asks me where am I located. He gave me a number and the number dialed prompts “not in service”. I continued to dial the numbers and even the number given by neighbor to contact someone from the Barangay Hall is “not in service”, too. I dialed 117 again and now with a tone I asked what number can I dial for any police mobile available aside from Mabolo Police Department which is near the area? He just give another number which is again useless. He asked me for my name. I asked for his name too, but the stupid personnel just told me he is from DILG. WTF!
I am not able to retrieve the numbers I dialed in the landline since I dialed it through my cellphone continuously and indicating # on the numbers means that it’s another set of phone number. I check tried checking it and it’s not stored on my dialed numbers! Whaaa! And so I am stupid too not able to provide these numbers here so you my trying bugging them!
Kapoy! If ever I had dialed them, it will be too late then. It will be like what we mostly see on TV’s and movies. They come when everything is now at peace and the end of the story is now near..