Peasants and progressive groups gathered at the Commission of Human Rights (CHR) to condemn the brutal killing of Anakpawis National Chairperson Randall “Randy” Echanis, an elderly peasant activist and peace consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).
While Metro Manila is under reimposed Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ), Echanis was killed inside his home in Quezon City last August 10 in the dead of the night.
As reported by Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), five state forces forcibly entered his house at around 1:30am. Echanis and his neighbor, Louie Tagapia, were found dead in his apartment in Novaliches.
Later that night, La Loma policemen snatched the body of Echanis and brought it to Pink Petals Memorial Homes. It took two days for the grieving families, peasants and fellow advocates to recover his remains.
The dispute over the custody of Echanis’ body was triggered by the discovery of an identification card with a picture of Echanis, but in the name of a certain Manuel C. Santiago. A supposed senior business consultant for a company called Innotech Solutions Int.
On August 12, Quezon City Police District (QCPD) returned the remains of Echanis to his family after Echanis’ right thumbprint matched with that on his identification card from Barangay Aguho in Pateros.
The QCPD detained Paolo Colabres, a paralegal from Sentro para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (SENTRA) who was keeping watch on Echanis’ remains on the first night it was held by police, and was detained and charged with “obstruction of justice.”
The family of Echanis along with several organizations call for justice against the inhumane incident and the atrocious killings under the Duterte regime.
“We demand justice for the death of Ka Randy. His killing is made more heartless and cruel amid a pandemic when death and hunger abounds. We hold accountable the Duterte regime which has persistently proclaimed and acted against genuine land reform and a just peace,” KMP national chairperson Danilo Ramos said in a statement.
