A 71-year-old man died after suffering a heart attack in Taguig City early Saturday, with his family alleging delays in the 911 response.

The incident began at about 12:17 a.m., 15 August, when the Taguig Command Center received a request from the national Unified 911 system for ambulance assistance for a patient suffering a possible heart attack in Maharlika Village.

“The Taguig Command Center repeatedly tried to obtain the complete address of the patient, but the necessary details could not be provided to pinpoint the exact location of the patient,” the city said.

The city also said the command center tried calling the contact number provided by 911, but the calls went unanswered.

As the emergency continued, the patient's relatives sought help from the Maharlika Village and Upper Bicutan barangay halls. Some relatives went directly to the Maharlika barangay hall, prompting the barangay to deploy its patient transport vehicle.

The patient was taken to Taguig-Pateros District Hospital, arriving at 12:43 a.m., where he was given medical intervention and resuscitative measures. He was declared dead at 1:24 a.m.

The family's initial account raised questions about the emergency response.

A relative said he spent nearly 10 minutes trying to reach 911 and was repeatedly told to “wait” after his call was answered. He said he performed CPR on his father while waiting for an ambulance and continued doing so after responders arrived.

He also initially alleged that the ambulance had no automated external defibrillator, or AED, and that no responder took over CPR.

“Galit ako dahil naranasan ko mismo kung gaano kahirap humingi ng emergency assistance kapag ang mahal mo sa buhay ay nangangailangan nito,” he wrote on social media.

In a follow-up post Sunday, however, the relative apologized for his language and said he could not confirm what equipment or personnel were available when responders arrived.

“First, I would like to sincerely apologize for the inappropriate words I used regarding the 911 hotline. I was extremely emotional and overwhelmed by what was happening to my father at that time,” he said.

“Because everything happened so quickly, I cannot say for certain why some equipment or personnel were unavailable when they arrived. I also do not want to make assumptions or provide inaccurate information about this,” he added.

He also said his family would no longer answer questions about the incident while authorities investigate.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government has ordered a probe into the handling of the emergency call. Meanwhile, Taguig said the agencies involved were ready to cooperate with any official investigation.