Philippine National Police chief Avelino Razon yesterday came to the rescue of the Negros Occidental policemen who are now under fire from militant groups questioning the serving of the arrest warrants to peasant leader Randall Echanis in Bago City , Negros Occidental.

In a statement released by the PNP Public Information Office, Razon said “The arrest of Echanis was lawful and was done in accordance with our Police Operational Procedures”.

Echanis was apprehended by the police on Jan. 28 in Brgy. Calumangan, Bago City, by virtue of a search warrant issued by Leyte Judge Ephraim Abando, on charges of 15 counts of murder.

Kilusang Magbubukid sa Pilipinas and its allied organizations claimed that the policemen were in civilian clothes and wore bonnets, which they said an indication of government plans to kill or abduct him.

Razon debunked claims of militant groups that Echanis was tortured.

Bayan-Negros official Felipe Gelle said the family of Echanis is now preparing the filing of writ of amparo and habeas data, to ensure protection of the detained peasant leader.

Senior Supt. Rosendo Franco, provincial police director, laughed off another claim of militant groups that they tortured Echanis.

Franco said he is not surprised by the accusations of the militant groups as they are very good in fabricating allegations. He even advised them to go ahead in filing a case against them.

Echanis is now detained at the Leyte Provincial Jail.

The Communist Party of the Philippines and militant groups in Negros Occidental have demanded the immediate release of Echanis who, they said, is the KMP deputy secretary general, but is claimed by the military to be the secretary of the CPP-NPA-NDF National Peasant Commission.

Karapatan-Negros also claimed that another peasant leader, identified as Flaviano Arante, was forcibly taken by alleged members of the 61 st IB Bravo Company in Santa Catalina , Negros Oriental on Jan. 25.

Citing the accounts of Arante's wife, Carmen, Karapatan said a 6-man team soldiers of 61 st IB led by a certain 2Lt. Pututan and a civilian guide forcibly took her husband.

Maj. Nathaniel Villasor, 303 rd Infantry Brigade Civil Military Operations chief, yesterday denied accusations that Arante was abducted by the 61 st IB.

Villasor admitted that Arante, alias Ka Johnny, was invited for questioning by the 61 st IB, based on testimonies of a captured NPA red fighter identified as a certain Ka Jack, that he was a member of a rebel unit under ka Jimlan.

He claimed that Arante admitted joining the NPA in 2006 but had lain low in the second quarter of last year.

Villasor said Arante was turned over to her family on the same day, after he was advised not rejoin the rebel movement.

Karapatan claimed that Arante's wife insisted that her husband has still not returned home until now.*GPB

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