A 35-year-old man from Dingras, Ilocos Norte was arrested after trying to slip past a police checkpoint along the Laoag–Sarrat–Piddig–Solsona Road in Barangay 52-A, San Mateo, Laoag City on Saturday afternoon.

Police identified the suspect as Ralph Leoplex Vergara Torralba, also known as “Ka Ralph,” who lives with his partner in Barangay Albano, Dingras. He was riding a Mitsukoshi JET X 150 motorcycle that carried a tampered plate number — B859OK instead of its registered number B352OK, which is under the name of Cherry Ann Vicente Bumanglag of Sarrat.

The checkpoint was manned by personnel of the Laoag City Police Station led by SCAD officer PCPT Jimmy S. Aganon, under the supervision of PLTCOL Ryan M. Retotar.

According to police, Torralba attempted to ignore the checkpoint but was quickly stopped. Officers immediately noticed the altered plate number, a violation of the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act. When asked to show his driver’s license, he was unable to present one.

Things escalated when Torralba opened his motorcycle compartment to retrieve his OR/CR. In plain view, officers spotted a glass tube tooter and a black sling bag containing what appeared to be parts of a disassembled firearm. He also failed to present any firearm registration or permit to carry, prompting police to place him under arrest and inform him of his rights.

Barangay officials and prosecutors were called in as witnesses during the marking and inventory of the seized items. Barangay chairperson Dante Agustin and DoJ representative Philip Damaso were present during the search.

Inside Torralba’s wallet, police found four sachets of suspected shabu weighing about five grams in total, along with a glass tube tooter with residue, 24 empty plastic sachets, P1,500 in cash, and a 1,000 South Korean won bill.