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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

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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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