BACOOR CITY, Cavite – Police and village officials arrested Monday night a villager for carrying an M203 grenade launcher after raising a ruckus in Queensrow West neighborhood in this city.
Bacoor City police chief Superintendent Francisco Lucena III ordered the immediate arrest of the troublemaker identified as Jacklord Balagtas Amante, a resident in the same village.
Lucena said that the police team assisted by the village chief and village watchman Kim Bocota tried to pacify and apprehend the suspect.
Instead of submitting himself to the lawmen, suspect Amante resisted and pushed the arresting law enforcers.
This prompted police to accost Amante and conducted body search that yielded an M203 grenade launcher.
Amante is now detained at the city police detention cell as police are preparing charges against him for breaches on alarm and scandal, direct assault and violation of Republic Act 9516 or the “Illegal, unlawful, manufacture, dealing in, acquisition or disposition of firearms and ammunition or explosive or instrument used in the manufacture of firearms and ammunition and explosives.”
A person found guilty for violation of this law is meted a life term.
Police Officer 1 Edilberto M. Reyes Jr., city cop investigator, said the M203 is a single-shot 40 mm under-barrel grenade launcher designed to be attached to a rifle and uses the same rounds as the older stand-alone M79 break-action grenade launcher that uses high-low propulsion system to keep recoil forces low.
It was not known where the suspect got the M2O3 grenade launcher.
City police turned over the grenade launcher to the SWAT office of the Cavite Provincial Police headquarters at Camp General Pantaleon Garcia in Imus City. (Rogelio Limpin/PNA)
