MANILA, Philippines—An additional charge of motorcycle theft has been filed against a Camp Crame-based policeman, who was initially arrested on Wednesday for allegedly attempting to bribe his colleagues with five handguns he was caught in illegal possession of in Manila.
The discovery gave rise to the suspicion of Manila Police District personnel that Police Officer 1 Din Sibaro, 32, of the Philippine National Police Security and Protection Group (PNP-PSPG), has long been in the trade of gun-running and car theft.
Verification conducted by the MPD Sta. Mesa station 8 investigators revealed that the black Kawasaki motorcycle with no license plate that Sibaro had been using when he was caught with the illegally possessed firearms had been stolen on March 12 from its owner in Quezon City.
MPD station 8 commander Superintendent Jimmy Tiu told the Inquirer that Sibaro, who previously served as a VIP security for politicians in Northern Luzon, could have found the sale of hot firearms lucrative in the area and decided to venture in the illegal trade.
“When we asked him how long he had been involved in gun-running, he would not talk and chose to stay silent,” Tiu pointed out.
The station commander said that apart from the charges of illegal possession of firearms and attempted corruption of a police officer, they have also charged Sibaro with motorcycle theft before the city prosecutor‘s office.
Sibaro was nabbed at around 11 a.m. Wednesday by operatives of the MPD Sta. Mesa police station with his illegal cargo, while he was aboard the stolen motorcycle along Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard near Fortuna Street.
Manila policemen would not have discovered Sibaro’s allegedly illegal activities if the straps of a backpack he carried had not snapped because of the weight of the undocumented handguns, including four .45 cal. pistols and a .38 cal. automatic firearm.
Sibaro later allegedly offered the guns to the arresting policemen in exchange for his liberty.