News Release
February 3, 2008
Reference: Rafael “Ka Paeng” Mariano, chairman, KMP and president, ANAKAPWIS party list
 
KMP and relatives mulls filing writ of habeas data for Ka Randall Echanis!
 
            The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) along with the relatives of the illegally arrested and detained Randall “Ka Randy” Echanis, the external deputy secretary general of the group, is mulling to file for the newly released writ of habeas data.
            According to Rafael “Ka Paeng” Mariano, chairman of KMP and concurrent president of ANAKPAWIS party list, “ we hope that the writ of habeas data will compel Armed Forces (AFP) chief of staff Hermogenes Esperon to divulge all information on Ka Randy. We are especially interested on his claim that Ka Randy is the brain of urban partisan operations and the head of the Military Commission of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP),”
            “The AFP is also saying that Ka Randy is a member of the Central Committee of the CPP and that there is a P 5 million reward for his capture. All these are false and it is obvious that Esperon is trying to demonize Ka Randy, to justify his illegal arrest and to hide the fact that they are just making every thing up. According to our lawyers the AFP have no solid evidence whatsoever on Ka Randy, they are just harassing him and the KMP for our continued criticism of the Macapagal-Arroyo regime and our push for the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill (HB 3059),” added Mariano.
            Meanwhile Ranmill Echanis, son of Ka Randy said, “We hope that the writ can also expunge all the fabricated and erroneous data they have on my father because the AFP seems to be building such a huge pile of lie against him. We did not even know that there is a P5 million reward to capture him. Gen. Esperon can keep the P5 million to himself and use it for payment of damages after the case against my father has been dismissed,”
            “From all indications Gen Esperon will do just that and pocket the P 1 billion allotted for his 3 month term extension. He will try to use all those that they will illegally arrest or kill as milking cows and say that rewards are allotted for those who helped in their capture or elimination but in the end they will just pocket the money themselves. This will further endanger the lives of many more innocent people and their families and we are hoping that the writ can help us stop it,” ended Echanis. # # #