๐ทAmerican vlogger Elliot Eastman
Three suspects involved in the abduction of American vlogger Elliot Onil Eastman are currently in the custody of Zamboanga police, the Philippine National Police said on Wednesday, October 30.
In a press briefing, PNP spokesperson PBGen. Jean Fajardo said one suspect surrendered over the weekend, allowing authorities to apprehend the other two. She added that two of the suspects face murder charges and are members of a criminal group.
“Yesterday, nai-file na po, na-inquest na po ‘yung kaso laban sa anim na suspek po na na-identify. Tatlo po doon ay under custody ng PNP,” Fajardo said.
“This is in relation po doon sa kidnapping ng isang American national. Ang isinampa pong kaso kahapon po ay kidnapping and serious illegal detention po,” she added.
The official stated that the suspects orchestrated Eastman’s abduction in Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte on Oct. 17.
While Eastmanโs family has not received any ransom demands or proof of life, police remain hopeful about his situation.
“Lumalabas initially sa atin pong investigation, at least sa investigation ng task group po, kidnapping po talaga ang motibo dito,” Fajardo said.
“But until now ay wala pa po tayong nakukuhang information na demand po for ransmon. Sadly, wala pa rin tayong proof life na nakukuha. We donโt want to speculate kung ano ang current status ng biktima. We remain hopeful na buhay pa yung biktima,โ Fajardo said.
In addition to local authorities, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is now investigating Eastmanโs abduction. FBI agents visited Eastmanโs wife on Oct. 18 and informed the PNP that his relatives in the US have not received any ransom demands.
In past vlogs, Eastman expressed concerns about being โdislikedโ in the area, mentioning that โthey want bad things to happenโ to him, and that his family had been warned of potential kidnapping threats.
Regional police noted that they had advised Eastman of his vulnerability to kidnapping as a foreigner, citing previous incidents in the area.
Eastman, married to a Filipino, had reportedly been in the Philippines for five months. (TCSP)
