- Non Alquitran and Junep Ocampo () - August 12, 2002 - 12:00am

An influential Chinese businessman is being eyed as the prime suspect in the ambush-killing of former Manila Councilor Chika Go last Saturday in Binondo.

Wilfredo Keng, aka Willy Keng, had allegedly sent numerous death threats to Go in the weeks before the former councilor was brutally shot to death in broad daylight by an unidentified gunman.

According to Corazon Desu Go, wife of the slain councilor, Keng has been threatening to kill her husband and their entire family as early as three years ago. She believes it was also Keng who was behind the first ambush on her husband last May. Go survived the ambush unscathed but his 18-year-old daughter was injured.

"Siya lang naman talaga ang puwedeng gumawa nito sa asawa ko (He is the only one who can do this to my husband)," said Corazon in a telephone interview from Funeraria Paz. She noted that Keng had sent her text messages the week before the ambush warning that he will have all members of the Go family killed.

"Sabi niya uubusin niya kaming lahat (He said he would kill us all)," she recalled.

Go’s wife also said that on the morning of the ambush, their driver noticed the red car of Keng with license plate numbers 955 following her husband’s Pajero at the Chinese General Hospital. "Umaga pa lang nakita na niya kaya takot na takot na siya (The driver saw it in the morning and became very afraid)."

Keng owns the Balikbayan Shopping Center in Clark Field, Pampanga. He has been accused of being involved in various illegal activities, including smuggling of fake cigarettes and the anomalous granting of special investors residence visa (SIRV) to Chinese nationals for a fee.

Ironically, Keng and Go used to do business together, with Go, an architect and engineer, even putting up the building for his shopping center for him. Keng even rents a property at the Reina Regente Towers which is owned by Go. However, they had a falling apart after Keng allegedly swindled Go of millions in various deals and after Keng destroyed some properties of Go.

The complaints piled up to include the threats he has received from Keng all these years.

A file provided by Go’s wife to The STAR revealed how intensive Go has studied Keng’s background. In the file, Go apparently believes that Keng was also involved in the killing of Paulo Patacsil, an employee of the Board of Investments, investigating the SIRV scam. Patacsil was kidnapped and killed by unidentified men in November 1999 with his body – already charred – later found in Nueva Vizcaya. Local folk there said it was dropped by a helicopter.

Go’s wife said the complaints were never acted upon by authorities. She said this only proves that Keng had "strong connections" with people in power.

One letter sent by Go’s wife to Sen. Panfilo Lacson when the latter was still chief of the Philippine National Police even reached Keng, she said. Keng used the same complaint in filing a libel case against Go’s wife and in having her arrested and detained.

The PNP, though, is now pursuing all leads in Go’s ambush-killing.

Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco, Metro Manila police chief, said he has ordered a thorough probe of the killing which he believes was perpetrated by the same people who ambushed Go on May 21.

BALIKBAYAN SHOPPING CENTER BOARD OF INVESTMENTS CHINESE GENERAL HOSPITAL CLARK FIELD CORAZON DESU GO DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL REYNALDO VELASCO FUNERARIA PAZ KENG KENG AND GO MANILA COUNCILOR CHIKA GO