Manila police director Chief Superintendent Roberto Rosales on Wednesday ordered policemen to stop spending too much time talking on the telephone while on duty, especially if the phone is a police action line.

Rosales made the warning in a directive he issued after receiving information that several on-duty policemen are using and spending too much time on telephone lines dedicated for crime emergencies.

The Manila police chief said his office had been receiving complaints from crime complainants that their police action lines are always busy. He said he discovered that some policemen use the action lines for personal calls.

He said several crime incidents turns out unreported because of the policemen's "telebabad."

Rosales said policemen who will be caught using police action lines for their personal calls will be relieved and slapped with administrative charges.