Bangsamoro police on alert following American vlogger’s abduction

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – The Bangsamoro police alerted its troops in the provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi following the abduction of American vlogger Elliot Onil Eastman in Sibuco town, Zamboanga del Norte.

“We are on alert. We are conducting relentless monitoring now and have deployed our ground commanders who have territorial jurisdiction in the mentioned provinces,” Police Brigadier General Romeo Juan Macapaz, the newly installed regional director of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) police, said during a press conference on October 18 in Camp Salipada K. Pendatun, Parang, Maguindanao del Norte.

There were reports that the abductors allegedly headed toward the waters of Sulu or Basilan, but the regional police chief cannot confirm yet whether or not the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) is behind the recent kidnapping.

“There is no confirmation on that. The ASG has been dormant for quite a while. We are still conducting an investigation,” Macapaz added.

The content creator was kidnapped on October 17 in Sitio Tungawan, Barangay Poblacion, Sibuco town, Zamboanga del Norte, according to Zamboanga Peninsula regional police chief Police Brigadier General Bowenn Joey Masauding. Masauding reported that Eastman was forcibly taken from his house by four armed men, believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf.

Witnesses recounted that the four abductors, wearing masks and black commando apparel, identified themselves as police officers armed with M-16 rifles.

Sibuco police reported that the victim managed to escape for a short time, but was shot in the leg. He was later carried by the suspects to standby boat.

Eastman’s contents include his “daily life” vlogs in Zamboanga del Norte, and has thousands of followers in his social media pages. He is married to a local Filipina from the said province. Eastman’s last video on YouTube was posted around 9 pm on Thursday, where he recorded himself eating lanzones.

In a statement, the US embassy in Manila said it is working with Philippine authorities on the Eastman case: “We are aware of the reports and are coordinating with local authorities,” adding that the US “generally does not comment on reports of potential kidnappings while investigations are ongoing.”

However, the embassy stressed that the “Department of State has no greater priority than the welfare and safety of US citizens abroad.” – Rappler.com