The police arrested Anak­pa­wis Partylist paralegal Pao­lo Co­lab­res for seeking the release of the remains of Ran­dall Echa­nis at a funeral parlor in Ba­ra­ngay Paang Bun­dok, La Lo­ma, Quezon City on August 11. Colabres was charged with obstructi­on of jus­tice and was detained for a week in Camp Ka­ri­ngal. A day prior to the arrest, the police forcibly took the remains of Echanis from his wake in Quezon Ave­nue.

To cover up the political motive in the killing, the police is making it appear that the crime is simply a case of robbery and homicide.