Agote v. Judge Lorenzo173
already settled the question of whether there can be a "separate
offense of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition if there is
another crime committed[.]"174
In that case, the petitioner was charged with both illegal possession
of firearms and violation of the Gun Ban under Commission on Elections
Resolution No. 2826.175 This court acquitted petitioner in the case for illegal possession of firearms since he simultaneously violated the Gun Ban.176
This court also held that the unlicensed firearm need not be actually
used in the course of committing the other crime for the application of
Section 1 of Republic Act No. 8294.177
Given the circumstances obtaining here, the court finds the search conducted by the port authorities reasonable and, therefore, not violative of the accused’s constitutional rights. Hence, when the search of the bag of the accused revealed the firearms and ammunitions, accused is deemed to have been caught in flagrante delicto, justifying his arrest even without a warrant under Section 5(a), Rule 113 of the Rules of Criminal Procedure. The firearms and ammunitions obtained in the course of such valid search are thus admissible as evidence against [the] accused. 146
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