AUTHORITIES arrested a former policeman linked to various criminal activities across Mindanao, a top military official announced Tuesday, June 10, 2025.
Brigadier General Romulo Quemado II, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) deputy commander for Internal Defense Operation, identified the arrested man as Abdulpatac Maguid Pantacan, also known as alias Patac.
Quemado, also the 1st Marine Brigade commander, said that Anti-Kidnapping Group operatives arrested Pantacan around 1:55 p.m. on Monday along Almonte Street, Poblacion 5 village, Cotabato City.
“This joint operation underscores the continued synergy between the Philippine Marine Corps and the PNP (Philippine National Police) in upholding public safety and dismantling criminal networks,” Quemado said in a statement.
Pantacan, formerly assigned to the Police Regional Office–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR), had been under surveillance due to his extensive criminal involvement.
Intelligence reports link Pantacan to targeted killings of police personnel, illegal firearms trade, carnapping, and large-scale smuggling operations in Koronadal, Cotabato, and Pagadian cities.
Pantacan is the principal suspect in the December 1, 2024 killing of Police Senior Master Sergeant John Manuel Bongcawil in Cotabato City.
After his dismissal from police service on March 23, 2023, for Absence Without Official Leave (AWOL), Pantacan established the "Pantacan Group." This syndicate engages in organized criminal operations, including gun-for-hire activities, vehicle theft, and cigarette smuggling.
The apprehended suspect is now in the custody of the AKG-Mindanao Field Unit-Cotabato City for proper custodial procedures and legal disposition. (SunStar Zamboanga)