Motorcycle rider yields illegal firearm, shabu in Batangas checkpoint

LUCENA CITY – A motorcycle rider yielded an illegal firearm and shabu (crystal meth) at a checkpoint in Rosario town in Batangas province on Saturday, report said Sunday.

Rosario police reported that Renante Miranda, 45, was flagged down in a checkpoint in Barangay (village) Quilib around 5:40 p.m. for riding a motorcycle without wearing a crash helmet.

Wearing protective head gear for motorcyclist riders is mandated under Republic Act No. 10054, otherwise known the Motorcycle Helmet Act of 2009.

When Miranda, a resident of Calapan City in Oriental Mindoro, pulled out his driver’s license during routine inspection, a policeman noticed the grip of a caliber .45 pistol on the suspect’s right hip.

Miranda failed to produce the necessary documents for the firearm loaded with seven bullets.

Report said Miranda also voluntarily disclosed that he was also carrying five more bullets and a plastic sachet of shabu inside a pouch on his pocket.

The report did not state the volume and street value of the confiscated illegal drugs.

The suspect was detained while charges of illegal possession of firearms, ammunitions and illegal drugs were being prepared.

Police also seized the suspect’s motorcycle.