Echanis acquittal sparks outcry over red-tagging

Kapatid, a support group for political prisoners, welcomed the acquittal of activist Amanda Echanis by a Tuguegarao City court but also called for accountability for those allegedly involved in planting and fabricating evidence against activists.

The group, composed of families of political prisoners, said clearing Echanis after more than five years in detention has validated what it described as a broader pattern of manufactured criminal cases used against progressive individuals.

The group said they welcome the acquittal and release of Amanda Lacaba Echanis after five years of unjust detention on fabricated charges. Still, it noted that similar tactics have been used in other cases to deny bail and prolong imprisonment.

In December 2020, Echanis was arrested and was acquitted by the Tuguegarao City Regional Trial Court after prosecutors failed to prove charges involving alleged possession of firearms and explosives.

Echanis’ case drew national and international attention, particularly because she was detained shortly after giving birth.

Kapatid said Echanis’ arrest as a new mother showed the human cost of what it called systematic repression, adding that no court ruling could restore the years lost or undo the trauma suffered by her family.

However, the group said the acquittal of Echanis was a victory but also an indictment of red-tagging and the filing of fabricated cases against activists.

With this, Kapatid called for those responsible for planting evidence and violating human rights to be held accountable, not only in Echanis’ case but in other similar prosecutions.

It reiterated its demands for the release of all political prisoners, the dismissal of what it described as trumped-up charges, and an end to the criminalization of activism.

Kapatid and other human rights groups, such as Karapatan and Gabriela Women’s Party, maintain that the charges against Echanis were fabricated and part of a broader campaign of red-tagging and political repression against activists.