West Leyte Weekly Express

Team leader Insp. Benigno Niemes holds Ernest Sidney Keeler as they land on the shores of Ipil, this city.

THE primary suspect in the slaying of a businessman last year finally fell into the hands of the police last     Mar. 23. The perpetrator is identified as Ernest Sidney Keeler alias “Kano” who is tagged as the most wanted man in Ormoc with a reward placed on his head.
 

Keeler is responsible for the death of Kris Dy, a scion of a wealthy Chinese family who was found with a fatal gunshot wound inside his car in Simangan, this city after he was robbed in Aug. 20 last year. The suspect is also responsible for the shooting of seaman Jun Salvador “Besoy” Juba at the plaza five days before Dy’s robbery-slay.
 

Keeler was arrested in San Isidro, San Francisco town in Camotes Island, Cebu based on a warrant issued by Judge Apolinario Buaya of RTC Branch 35. The Regional Public Safety Batallion based in Milagro, this city conducted the operation headed by Insp. Benigno Niemes.
 

Keeler sustained a gunshot wound on the neck after engaging the arresting officers to a gunfight using his cal.45 pistol. His wound was dressed at San Francisco General Hospital after which, the party boarded a pumpboat and landed at the shores of Ipil, this city.
 

Aside from the mentioned two celebrated cases, Keeler is also responsible for the robbery holdup of a businesswoman last May 18. The victim is 45-year-old Natividad Elumir-Calabia who was robbed in front of his house in San Isidro, this city.
 

The operatives learned of this from the evidences found in the house of Keeler’s live-in partner where he was picked up in Camotes. The evidences included cheques payable to Calabia, P150,000 cash, cellphone, necklace and other personal items found inside three bags.

Calabia herself positively identified Keeler as the one who pointed a firearm at her and took her bags. She made the identification at Ormoc District Hospital where the suspect was confined for treatment of his wounded neck. The businesswoman gave the police a pat on the back for a job well done.

Keeler is now faced with various charges. Aside from robbery-homicide for and murder for the killing of Dy and Juba, he will also be charged of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition as well as violation of RA 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act because of more evidences found.

These include two kilos dried marijuana leaves, a matchbox filled with shabu, two cal.45 pistols one of which attached with a silencer, two blank magazines and a KG9 machine pistol also known as an Ingram with three fully loaded magazines. Police said Keeler was high on drugs during the arrest.

With this development, another suspect arrested earlier was immediately released. The same police unit caught a suspect also called “Kano,” the same alias used by Keeler in Caneja St., PI Garcia, Naval town, Biliran last Mar. 21. The false suspect was promptly released.

Norma Juba, mother of one of Keeler’s slain victims, is thankful for the arrest of killer of her son who would have turned 26 last Mar. 10. For his part, Insp. Niemes thanks some people for helping them locate the suspect’s whereabouts including San Isidro Barangay Captain William Tano and members of the Knights Ulphans Fraternity and Sorority Int’l. by Elvie Roman-Roa

(West Leyte Weekly Express issue of Mar. 19-25, 2012)