MANILA, Philippines — Police officers stopped a Mass offered for slain peace talks consultant Randall “Ka Randy” Echanis outside of a Quezon City funeral parlor on Tuesday, the Anakpawis party list said.
“The police are trying to hold Redemptorist’s ecumenical mass being held in front of the Pink Petal Memorial where Ka Randy Echanis’ remains are being withheld,” read the tweet.
URGENT! The police are trying to hold Redemptorist’s ecumenical mass being held in front of the Pink Petal Memorial where Ka Randy Echanis’ remains are being withheld. According to them, it is a “violation” of the MECQ. pic.twitter.com/cmdS9FYAH0
— Anakpawis Party-list (@AnakpawisPL) August 12, 2020
Anakpawis said the police said their activity is a violation of the rules set by the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).
In an interview with reporters, Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas, who also attended the Mass, said they were then forced to hold a solidarity prayer instead of a Mass despite following the minimum health protocols.
“Ngayon nagkaroon tayo ng pagdarasal kasi hindi tayo pinayagang mag-Misa, kahit na may health protocol, hindi tayo nakapagmisa ng full blown,” she said.
(Today, we had a prayer because we were not allowed to organize a Mass even if we have a health protocol we were not allowed to have a full-blown Mass.)
INQUIRER.net sought the comment of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) about the incident but has yet to get a reply as of posting time.
Echanis was killed inside his rented apartment in Novaliches, Quezon City on Monday morning. A police report however identified him as Manuel Santiago, citing an identification card and testimony from the landlady of the apartment.
Echanis’ body was first brought to the Pink Petals Funeral Homes in La Loma, Quezon City. Echanis’ wife Erlinda later had the body transferred to St. Peter’s Memorial along Quezon Avenue but was later taken by police officers who brought it back to the Pink Petals Funeral Homes.
The QCPD said they returned the body to the Pink Petals Funeral Homes for autopsy, noting that the body was “illegally” transferred. Anakpawis however said they coordinated first with the police before moving Echanis’ remains.