Emergency 117

In the tradition of US' emergency number 911, the Philippines also has an emergency number to be accessed by Metro Manila residents: 117. I guess I've heard about this number a year ago, but have never actually used it first hand until 2 days ago. And in fairness ha, nakatulong sya.
My mom's cousins from Mindanao have been staying with us. Husband and wife are here to attend their son's University ceremony. The other morning, however, wife got the scare of her life when her son called at 2 AM, asking for help. Son was apparently running while calling on his cell phone, a dunk/addict running after him with a very long kitchen knife at hand. Sounds like a made up story?? Sorry ka na lng, pero this really happened. Son is a university student, and was at the U-belt area at the time of the call. On their way to their dormitory, he and 2 of his classmates were chanced upon by a drunk guy trying to extort money from them. They started to run away and thus the tale of the phonecall.
Meanwhile, while the mother was hysterical, we tried and called 117. Agent 0038 answered (HOY!! yun talaga ang binigay nyang pangalan!) and assisted our call, asked for the name of the victim and location of the incident then promised that he would immediately forward our call. After about 5 mins, he called us and informed us that the son and the knife-guy was already at the baranggay and that someone was already assisting them. Syempre, by that time, ang hysterical na ina ay on the way na to the whereabouts of her son.
It turned out that the call to 117 was just in time. Once the case was forwarded, police and baranggay people were immediately dispatched to search for the reported incident. They immediately appreheded the knife-guy and brought them to the baranggay hall. Had they not been immediately alerted, my cousin would have been knifed down.
I am not a big fan of the PNP or of the local Baranggay tanods, but rather, I am really appreciative that we already have emergency numbers now. AT MAY SUMASAGOT TALAGA!!! Which brings me to my next question... gwapo kaya si agent 0038??!! hehehe.