FBI joins search for American abducted in Zamboanga del Norte town
Elliot Onil Eastman —Photo from Facebook post of Mudzna Ali
MANILA, Philippines — Agents of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) visited Zamboanga del Norte over the weekend as they started to look into the reported abduction of an American national in the province.
Elliot Onil Eastman, 26, who is married to a Filipina, was abducted by four armed men on Thursday in Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte.
Police earlier said Eastman hails from Vermont.
Five FBI agents paid a courtesy visit to Sibuco Mayor Joel Ventura on Saturday to get updates, according to Efraem Roldan, media relations officer of Sibuco’s crisis management committee.
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Article continues after this advertisementHe added the FBI also visited the residence of Eastman’s wife in Sitio Tungawan in Barangay Poblacion, also in Sibuco.
Article continues after this advertisementPolice and military have launched a search for Eastman. According to Roldan, it has yet to be established whether the abduction was a case of kidnap for ransom.
The Philippine National Police in Zamboanga said on Sunday they have identified certain persons of interest who could be involved in Eastman’s abduction.
“We are validating leads to ensure we are tracking the right group to build an airtight case against them,” the PNP in Zamboanga Peninsula said.
Forcibly taken
Initial reports said the four armed men, who posed as police officers, forcibly took Eastman from his home and shot him in the leg when he tried to resist. He was taken into a getaway boat and fled out to sea.
The United States Embassy in Manila, in a statement, earlier said it was already aware of the abduction and had started coordinating with local authorities.
“We generally do not comment on reports of potential kidnappings while investigations are ongoing,” said Glenda Wallace, the acting spokesperson for the US Embassy in Manila.
Eastman has been living in the Philippines for five months after being married to a Filipina. Earlier reports said he is a content creator on YouTube.
