BY AARON RECUENCO, LIEZLE BASA INIGO
Police arrested a daughter of slain peasant leader Randy Echanis in a raid in Baggao, Cagayan Wednesday, barely four months after her father was killed in an apartment in Quezon City.
Police Gen. Debold Sinas, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said 32-year-old Amanda Socorro Echanis yielded an M16 rifle and two grenades when police served the search warrant in her house in Barangay Carupian.
The search warrant was issued by Judge Sheila C. Gacutan-Labuguen of MTC 2nd Judicial Region in Baggao, Cagayan on Nov. 27, 2020.
Police identified Amanda as finance officer of the West Front, Komiteng Probinsya ng Cagayan (COMPROB) of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) operating in Cagayan Valley.
The raiding team was composed of operatives from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Armed Forces of the Philippines, and PNP.
Anakpawis, in a statement, confirmed the arrest of Echanis but claimed that she was illegally arrested and that the gun and the grenade seized from her were all planted.
“We assert that Echanis was arrested on planted evidence. She is just a nursing mother who just gave birth to her first child. We call on her immediate and unconditional release on just, humanitarian grounds,” Anakpawis said.
Sinas disputed the statement of Anakpawis, saying police and military records revealed that Amanda is involved in the underground movement.
Sinas said the husband of Amanda is an active member of the NPA, the reason why she had an M16 rifle and two grenades.
PNP spokesman Police Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana said that there was nothing wrong with the police operation, saying it was done based on the existing Police Operational Procedures.
He said the implementation of the search warrant was witnessed by at least two barangay officials.
Lt. Col. Andree Abella, spokesperson of Police Regional Office 2 has also denied reports that the baby of Amanda was also arrested.
“The child was not arrested po along with Ms. Echanis. In fact, an ambulance was sent with medical personnel to assist the mother and her child. It was Ms. Echanis who requested na isama nya ang anak n’ya which was granted as the child is only a few months old,” Abella said.
Abella also said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) was also notified and requested to assist the mother and child.
“They are not detained at a detention cell po but are temporarily housed at the CIDG regional office and being assisted by female police personnel while coordination is being made with the DSWD for the care of the child while her mother is in custody,” Abella explained.
The arrest of Amanda came a few days after the daughter of Bayan Muna Rep. Eufemia Cullamat was killed in a military operation in Surigao del Sur.
Amanda’s arrest also came barely four months after his father, Anakpawis chairperson and National Democratic of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultant Randy Echanis, was stabbed to death by unidentified men who barged inside his home in Quezon City.
