Paralegal team member claiming Echanis’ remains freed on bail

MANILA, Philippines — A member of Anakpawis party-list paralegal team, who assisted in claiming the corpse of National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace consultant Randy Echanis, has been released after posting bail for obstruction of justice.

In a resolution of Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office dated Aug. 13 but was sent to the media on Tuesday, Paolo Colabres was indicted for violation of Presidential Decree No. 1829 or obstruction of justice by “taking and removing without authority, the cadaver of the victim known as Manuel Santiago or Randall Echanis.”

The prosecutor’s office also said Colabres “misrepresented” that he was authorized by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit and a police doctor to remove the cadaver from the funeral parlor.

The removal of the corpse also caused the “impeding and delaying the investigation” of Echanis’ death, the prosecutor’s office added.

Colabres already posted P36,000 worth of bail to be released in Camp Karingal, Quezon City, read the resolution.

It can be recalled that Colabres, who appeared at Pink Petals Funeral Services to secure the Echanis’ body, was arrested by members of Quezon City Police District last Aug. 11.

According to a police report, the arrest came after Colabres identified himself as a relative of Echanis to secure the body. Police said it was illegal to transfer the body without proper coordination with the investigators.

In a statement, Anakpawis maintains that Colabres was “illegally detained and arrested” in Camp Karingal more than a week after securing the remains of the peasant leader.

LOOK: Anakpawis paralegal team member Paolo Colabres released after posting bail. Police arrested him and filed charges for supposed obstruction of justice. | @CMarquezINQ https://t.co/CU4dIcrkiP

— Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) August 18, 2020

Echanis was killed inside his apartment in Novaliches, Quezon City last Aug. 10. Police initially claimed the body belonged to Manuel Santiago based on the identification card and testimony from the apartment landlady.

Two days after the murder, police confirmed that it was Echanis who was killed in the apartment after a fingerprint from Echanis’ ID matched the fingerprint from the body. [ac]