Maganto, decorated policeman, dies at 70

Retired Police General Romeo Maganto on Sunday afternoon died of cardiac arrest while undergoing dialysis session due to kidney problem in Bulacan.

Maganto, 70, retired from police service 14 years ago and settled in Bustos, Bulacan where he lived a simple and quiet life.

In January 2017, Maganto was diagnosed with a kidney failure.

Last Sunday, Maganto was scheduled for a dialysis session at Bocaue Memorial Medical Center, but he unexpectedly suffered a heart attack and passed out.

His huge career began as soon as Maganto graduated from the Philippine College of Criminology in 1974. He went on to serve 31 full years for the Philippine National Police before retiring as a general in 2004. Maganto’s performance as a policeman is evidenced by the 45 medals he received while in service, five of which are presidential medals.

He was also former head of the Southern Police District and had once earned the title of “darling of the press.”

His anti-crime and anti-insurgency police background, however, is not Maganto’s all and end all. In 1995, he authored the Color Coding Traffic Scheme, being traffic czar of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) traffic management office.

Maganto’s career was so celebrated that he even had two movies glorifying his life and work — Leon ng Maynila, Lt. Col. Romeo Maganto (1991) and Tomagan, Story of Gen. Romeo Maganto (2003).

His remains now lie at his residence in Bustos, Bulacan and are scheduled to be transferred to St. Peter Cubao today, June 19.