PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief Debold Sinas on Thursday, December 3, 2020, denied the claims of Anakpawis Party-list over the arrest of Amanda Lacaba Echanis, daughter of slain Anakpawis chairman Randall “Ka Randy” Echanis.
Sinas said the firearms and explosives found in Echanis’ house were not planted.
It was also Echanis who insisted on bringing her one-month-old baby with her to the police station after her arrest, Sinas added.
He said social workers were present there to assist Amanda and her baby.
Amanda was arrested when police served a search warrant at around 3:30 a.m. on December 2, 2020.
A search of her house in Barangay Carupian, Baggao in Cagayan yielded the following: one unit M16 Aris Colt 5.56mm assault rifle with serial number 4951346, one piece long plastic magazine for M16 rifle, one piece long steel magazine for M16 rifle, six pieces live ammunition for M16 rifle, 13 pieces live ammunition for M16 rifle, one piece live ammo for M16 rifle extracted from the chamber of the M16 rifle, one piece hand grenade with marking 0689 and one piece hand grenade with marking frag MK2 with lot no.p-4-105-78.
“’Yung sinabi nila na planting (of evidence) hindi po totoo yun kasi papaano ka mag-plant ng mga baril na’to kasi mga bago mga high caliber mahirap po mag-plant noon bahay n’ya yun eh,” Sinas said in a television interview.
Sinas insisted that Amanda is part of the New People’s Army, armed unit of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
“Yun ‘yung gustong palabasin ng Anakpawis. Sa totoo lang nasa underground yang si Amanda alam niya yan at ng AFP at PNP. Hindi totoong wala yan sa underground. Ang asawa niya ay lider po ng armado, sa NPA sa Cagayan Valley... Kaya nga may mga armas 'yan eh. 'Yung asawa niya nasa underground,” he said.
“Hindi basta-basta pinamalita dahil kumukuha pa kami ng ebidensya tungkol jan at hindi totoong wala sya sa underground, meron po yan ang problema lang kasi ‘yung mga report namin walang gustong to come up at mag-testify para mafilean ng kaso kaya nung natiktikan na may mga baril sila sa bahay inapplyan ng search warrant,” he added.
Amanda’s father was killed in his rented apartment in Novaliches, Quezon City in August 2020. (SunStar Philippines)