BY JEFFREY DAMICOG
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will no longer conduct an autopsy on the body of slain National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultant Randall “Randy” Echanis after the police confirmed his identity through fingerprint matching, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Thursday.
“I understand that the PNP (Philippine National Police) has released the body to the Echanis family upon verifying that the deceased was indeed Randall Echanis,” said Guevarra, chairman of the Inter-Agency Committee on Extra-Judicial Killings, Enforced Disappearances, Torture and Other Grave Violations of the Right of Life, Liberty and Security of Persons.
“In that case the NBI need not do another verification, and the DoJ/AO 35 special investigation team may proceed to do its work,” he pointed out.
The 72-year-old NDFP peace consultant was killed along with another person identified as Louie Tagapia, 48, inside their rented home in Barangay Nova Proper in Novaliches, Quezon City last Monday, Aug. 10.
Even though the remains of Echanis was identified by his wife Erlinda, the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) seized the body to verify its identity after an identification card showed that the victim’s name was Manuel Santiago.
The QCPD eventually released the remains after a finger cross-matching confirmed that the person was indeed Echanis. (Jeffrey Damicog)
