Anakpawis says paralegal 'keeping track' of Echanis' remains arrested

Party-list group Anakpawis on Tuesday said a paralegal "keeping track" of the remains of National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) consultant Randall Echanis was arrested by authorities.

In a tweet, Anakpawis said Pao Colabres, the paralegal, was arrested after Echanis' body was forcibly taken by policemen from the La Loma station.

"A member of the paralegal team who is keeping track of the remains of Randy Echanis, after it was forcibly taken by the police into custody, was illegally nabbed by the La Loma Police and brought to the PNP Station 1," the group said.

"The member of the paralegal team, identified as Pao Colabres, is now being taken at the Camp Caringal, QC, to be charged with 'obstruction of justice.'"

GMA News Online has reached out to the Quezon City Police District for their side on the matter but it has yet to respond as of posting time.

Anakpawis had said Echanis, 72, and an unidentified neighbor were killed on August 10. Former Anakpawis representative Ariel Casilao said Echanis was undergoing medical treatment and unarmed when cops raided his house.

QCPD chief Police Brigadier General Ronnie Montejo had insisted that Echanis wasn't among those killed. Citing results of an initial investigation, Montejo said the two victims were identified as Louie Tagapia, 48, and a certain Manuel Santiago.

Meanwhile, Echanis' widow, Erlinda, already identified that it was her husband who was killed. She also said some policemen had forcibly taken the remains of her husband from the funeral parlor. —KBK, GMA News