2 more suspects in Eastman abduction nabbed

ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 6 Nov) – Two more suspects in the Oct. 17 abduction of American content creator Elliot Eastman have been arrested, police said on Monday.

Police go through records of five suspects in the Elliot Eastman kidnapping. Photo courtesy of Police Regional Office 9

But Lt. Col. Helen Galvez, Police Regional Office 9 spokesperson, did not divulge to the media the details on the circumstances of their arrest while police are still pursuing the mastermind.

Three other suspects were arrested last week. All five are now in the custody of the Police Regional Office – Zamboanga Peninsula (PRO-9), Galvez said.

Eastman has been living in Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte for nearly five months after he got married to a resident, Kashrina Jala.

Late last week, Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo, Philippine National Police spokesperson, told the press that the group has been engaged in criminal activities with one suspect having a standing case for murder and the others having arrest warrants.

Fajardo said that the suspects in custody remain tightlipped when it comes to Eastman’s whereabouts.

She said police are still looking for the victim which they hope is still alive, as well as for the rest of the suspects, with kidnapping as the prime motive.

Fajardo said there has been no ransom demand from the suspects so far.

Zamboanga del Norte Governor Rosalina Jalosjos earlier issued a statement of condemnation: “This administration denounces the infliction of suffering not only upon the victim himself but also upon their families and the community that is now ruled with apprehension and terror.”

Meanwhile, the office of Rep. Adrian Amatong (3rd Dist., Zamboanga del Norte) now offers another P350,000 in addition to the P150,000 set by the local government of Sibuco as reward money to anyone who can give information on the victim’s whereabouts.

Fajardo said police investigations now include backtracking and research in the Zamboanga Peninsula and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to verify if the persons of interest identified by the police can be traced to local terrorist groups. (Frencie L. Carreon / MindaNews)