Jose Niño Comodas, 25, of Barangay Tinago, Cebu City, is arrested after he was caught with an unlicensed firearm and a gram of suspected shabu by police at a checkpoint in Barangay Maguikay, Mandaue City past 5 a.m. of Jan. 3, 2020. | CDND Photo/ Norman V. Mendoza
(Updated, 12:26 p.m.) MANDAUE CITY, Cebu– A man driving a motorcycle was apprehended by the police at a checkpoint in Barangay Maguikay, Mandaue City past 5 a.m. on Friday, January 3, 2020, after he was caught carrying a firearm and a gram of suspected illegal drugs.
The Mandaue Police identified the suspect as Jose Niño Comodas, 25, residing in Barangay Tinago, Cebu City.
Police Staff Master Sergeant Julius Tradio, the case investigator from the Casuntingan Police Station (Station 4) of the Mandaue City Police Office, said Comodas was caught carrying a .9mm caliber pistol with nine live ammunition and was unable to show a license to own or carry a firearm.
He was also caught in possession of a gram of suspected shabu (crystal meth), Tradio said.
Tradio said they were suspicious of the suspect when they noticed he was uneasy upon reaching the checkpoint.
This prompted them to check the suspect’s waist and this is when they found out that he had a gun.
Upon further checking, police found two small packets of suspected shabu estimated to weigh a gram.
The suspect also failed to show a driver’s license and the motorcycle he was driving, allegedly borrowed from a friend, had expired registration papers.
Police also found clothes at the motorcycle’s utility box, which further raised suspicion that the suspect might be involved in some criminal activity as the clothes could be used to hide his identity after a crime.
Police will be submitting the confiscated firearm to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory for a ballistic test to determine if this has been used in other crimes.
Comodas is now held at the Casuntingan Police Station pending the filing of appropriate charges against him./elb, bmjo