Retired Police general Romeo Maganto passes away

MANILA, Philippines — Retired police general Romeo Maganto, known as the “Lion of Manila,” succumbed to a lingering illness last Saturday. He was 70.

The wake of the former Western Police District (now the Manila Police District) chief is at the St. Peter Memorial Chapel. Interment is set this Sunday.

Maganto, whose life was depicted in two movies, served 31 years in the Philippine National Police and received 45 medals.

He initiated the number coding scheme when he was tapped as traffic czar in 1995.