The Philippine police said Friday it has launched a search after gunmen reportedly abducted an American national, who was shot in the leg as he tried to resist before being spirited away from a southern Philippine coastal town by speedboat.

If confirmed to be a case of kidnapping for ransom, it would be the latest reminder of the long-running security problems that have hounded the southern Philippines, the homeland of a Muslim minority in the largely Roman Catholic nation.

Police in Sibuco town in the southern province of Zamboanga del Norte tried to pursue the suspected abductors and their victim, who they identified as Elliot Onil Eastman, 26, from Vermont, after the reported abduction on Thursday night.

"We confirm that there was a report of the alleged abduction of an American national,” the regional police said in a statement. “We want to assure the public, particularly the community of Sibuco, that we are doing everything in our power to secure the safe recovery of the victim.”

The police asked the public to immediately provide any information that could help an ongoing investigation of the reported abduction.

Two police reports seen by The Associated Press said that a resident of Sibuco, Abdulmali Hamsiran Jala, reported to police that four men in black clothing who were armed with M16 rifles and introduced themselves as police officers forcibly took Eastman, who tried to escape.

One of the gunmen shot Eastman in the leg before dragging him into a speedboat then fled by sea further south toward the provinces of Basilan or Sulu, the police reports said.

*10-19-24*
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is now looking into the abduction of American vlogger Elliot Eastman, who was reported to have been taken by four men who introduced themselves as law enforcers in Zamboanga Del Norte.

According to the Police Regional Office 9 (PRO-9), FBI agents made a visit to Eastman’s wife on Friday, October 18, 2024, as reported on GMA’s “24 Oras Weekend” on Sunday.

The FBI was also reported to have told the Philippine National Police that Eastman’s relatives in the US have not received any ransom demand so far.

For its part, the United States Embassy said it continues to work with local authorities in the search for Eastman, as it said it is monitoring the situation. It did not provide further details citing privacy and other considerations.

When a US citizen is missing, we work closely with local authorities as they carry out their search efforts, and we make every effort to keep lines of communication open with families,” it said in a statement.

“The Department of State has no higher priority than the welfare and safety of US citizens abroad,” it added.

The PRO-9 earlier reported that four men abducted Eastman from his in-laws' house in the municipality of Sibuco around 11 p.m. on October 17. He was said to have resisted, but was shot in the leg and brought to a boat which headed for the high seas.

Eastman in his previous vlogs talked about “not being liked” in their area, saying that “they want bad things to happen” to him, and that people have been informing his family of threats to kidnap him.

The American national, married to a Filipino woman, is said to have been in the Philippines for five months.

For its part, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police are working together to catch the culprits.

Filmed October 2024
Filmed & Edited by Shaun
Shaun Wave Films