Special investigation team gets go signal to probe Echanis slay

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Thursday said the team tasked to look into the murder of National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace consultant Randall Echanis may now start investigating.

"I understand that the PNP has released the body to the Echanis family upon verifying that the deceased was indeed Randall Echanis," Guevarra said in a message to reporters.

"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 added.

Quezon City police confirmed on Wednesday that the man killed in Novaliches on Monday was Echanis, two days after his own wife positively identified the body as his.

Police initially said an identification card found in the crime scene indicated the victim was one Manuel Santiago. Another man, Louie Tagapia, was also killed.

Officers allegedly seized the body believed to be that of the peasant leader from the Echanis family and transferred it to another funeral parlor as it verified its identity.

Guevarra earlier tasked the AO 35 task force on extrajudicial killings to form a special investigating team to look into the incident.

Administrative Order No. 35 mandates the use of the composite team approach in investigating and prosecuting grave human rights violations. This means prosecutors will supervise law enforcement officers investigating a crime.

The AO 35 task force aims to prosecute politically motivated killings.

Karapatan, a human rights group, has said it was cynical about the DOJ investigation into Echanis' killing.

“Hundreds of activists have already been killed under this fascist regime and the DOJ’s task force has failed to bring any of them to justice and hold their perpetrators accountable," Karapatan said.

Asked for comment on Karapatan's claim, Guevarra said the DOJ "will just go ahead and do what it is duty-bound to do." —KBK, GMA News