MANILA, Philippines — Although elements of the Quezon City Police District say that there were no signs of forced entry at the rented apartment of Randall Echanis, who was found stabbed to death on Monday, members of the Anakpawis Party-list say otherwise.
At a press briefing the day before, QCPD officials admitted for the first time that the cadaver recovered at the crime scene belonged to Echanis after a fingerprint test confirmed what the victim's family and friends had been saying the entire time.
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They also claimed that there were no signs of forced entry at the apartment and that the door was not damaged—a claim contested by Anakpawis Party-list, whose paralegal was also arrested by QC police for watching over the former peasant activist's body.
READ: Guevarra: Police should explain transfer of Echanis' body without widow's consent
"Police claim that Echanis voluntarily opened his door or knew his killers, in a brazen attempt for a cover-up; but the crime scene says otherwise," Anakpawis leader Ariel Casilao said in a statement issued Thursday morning.
"Contrary to police claim, the perpetrators forced their entry into Echanis' rented apartment. It was a clear murder and we highly believe state forces were behind it following their hostaging of his remains and twisted stories," he also said.
Anakpawis dispatched a team along with barangay officials, the group said, to look into the crime scene and found a broken doorknob and strike plate near the doorway, indicating "a brute force entry."
Echanis' corpse has finally been turned over to his family and is now at the Philippine General Hospital for an X-ray and autopsy after three days of delay after being moved to another funeral parlor in La Loma, Quezon City.
"QCPD's cover-up is the reason why we will never trust them with the investigation. We urge them to stop the lies as it furthers the brutal death and injustice of Echanis," Casilao said. — Franco Luna