[PODCAST] KRIMINAL: The life and death of Ka Randy

The killing of lifetime advocate Randall “Randy” Echanis left the activist community shaken with rage and disbelief.

When news of his murder broke, statements of mourning and rage came pouring. They demanded justice.

Echanis died the chairman of the radical Anakpawis party list and a peace consultant for the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), but he spent much of his life in the frontlines, fighting for human rights and rural development.

The police at the outset disappointed his colleagues.

The authorities committed missteps, starting with initiating a tug-of-war with the family for Echanis’ body that delayed the investigation by at least 2 days.

They asked the police to leave the investigation instead to an independent body, like the Commission on Human Rights.

What are the updates on the investigation into the death of Echanis? What does it so far say about criminal investigation into killings of activists in the Philippines? Why is Echanis widely mourned?

In this episode of KRIMINAL, Rappler’s crime reporter Rambo Talabong recounts Echanis’ storied activist life and the brutal death he suffered. – Rappler.com