Philippine police arrest 3 suspects in kidnapping of US citizen

Philippine National Police (PNP) have arrested three suspects linked to the Oct. 17 abduction of Elliot Onil Eastman, a 26-year-old American from Vermont who remains missing following his kidnapping in Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte. The authorities believe Eastman is still alive as search efforts intensify.

Abductors identified: The suspects in custody, who reportedly belong to a criminal group, initially cooperated with authorities by identifying additional members potentially involved in the kidnapping. According to police, Eastman was shot in the leg after resisting the kidnappers, who then took him away in a motorboat. Criminal complaints of kidnapping and serious illegal detention were filed against the six suspects on Oct. 29.
Search continues: The FBI has joined the investigation as the PNP continued their search for Eastman. The police have stated that the suspects’ motives were purely criminal and unrelated to insurgent activity, underscoring the security challenges in the southern Philippines despite recent efforts to curb violence in the region.

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