A suspect apprehended in connection with helmet thefts during an Ilocos festival has been released after authorities found procedural issues with his arrest.

Following a reported helmet theft during the Tumba-Tumba Festival in Paoay, Ilocos Norte, authorities arrested Jayson Puruganan y Gonzales, 33, a resident of Brgy. Cabaguan, Paoay, in an entrapment operation on 2 November, 2024. The operation, led by the Paoay and Currimao Municipal Police Stations, recovered multiple stolen helmets, including one reported by 21-year-old victim Jeryco Recel of Brgy. Cabaruan, Santa Catalina, Ilocos Sur.

On 1 November, Recel realized his helmet was missing after leaving it on his motorcycle. Later, Recel’s girlfriend discovered the helmet listed for sale on a Facebook buy-and-sell group. Engaging with the seller, Recel coordinated with police for an entrapment operation. The operation culminated in Puruganan’s arrest at a convenience store in Currimao, where an undercover officer exchanged P2,500 in marked money for Recel’s helmet. Along with the helmet, authorities seized cash, a mobile phone, and a motorcycle allegedly linked to the suspect.

Following the arrest, a subsequent search of a rented room in Brgy. #10, San Jose, Laoag City, yielded additional helmets believed to be stolen. However, during inquest proceedings, the Prosecutor’s Office determined that Puruganan’s arrest did not meet the requirements for a warrantless arrest under Section 5, Rule 113 of the Revised Rules on Criminal Procedure.

The arrest was deemed unlawful as it lacked the immediacy and personal knowledge necessary for a hot pursuit, given that the crime was reported hours after the theft and involved investigation.

Due to these procedural issues, the inquest was terminated, and Puruganan’s release was ordered. Nonetheless, the case was re-docketed for summary investigation, with charges of theft under Article 308 in relation to Article 309 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended by RA 10951, formally filed against him.