An American YouTuber in the Philippines was kidnapped by masked gunmen who shot him in the leg before taking him away on a speedboat.
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Elliot Onil Eastman, a 26-year-old native of Vermont currently residing in the Philippines, was abducted at gunpoint late Thursday in Sibuco, a coastal town on the island of Mindanao. Four men, who appeared to be posing as police officers, carried out the kidnapping.
The suspects, wielding M16 rifles and clad in black attire, forcibly entered Eastman’s home, where he resides with his Filipina wife. According to the police per The New York Post, they opened fire when he attempted to defend himself. The men then compelled an injured Eastman onto the getaway boat before fleeing into the sea.
Multiple Filipino law enforcement agencies have initiated a “hot pursuit operation” to locate the missing American and his captors. According to police, the abduction was reported to authorities by Eastman’s father-in-law.
The YouTuber has been residing in the Philippines since May, following his first visit to the country a year prior, where he met his future wife, Karisha Jala Eastman. After marrying in July 2023, he briefly returned to the US before permanently relocating to his wife’s hometown, per local police.
“He got married to a local in the area,” regional police spokeswoman Lieutenant-Colonel Helen Galvez explained per The Post. “He has been there for about five months,” Galvez added.
Eastman Shared His Life in the Philippines Frequently on YouTube
Eastman frequently shares glimpses of his life in the Philippines through his YouTube channel and social media platforms.
“I came to the Philippines about a year and half ago,” he wrote on his YouTube bio. “I met the love of my life,” he added.
“Zamboanga del Norte is a recently developed area of the Philippines that was once only accessible by boat,” he continued. “I will be showing you my day to day life as the first and only foreigner to have ever lived here in Sibuco for a long period of time. I am from the USA!”
The southern Philippines, a region inhabited by a Muslim minority within a predominantly Roman Catholic country, is home to the Abu Sayyaf group. The organization is designated as a terrorist organization by both the United States and the Philippines.
The group has a history of conducting mass kidnappings for ransom. They specifically target American and other Western tourists, as well as religious missionaries.
To date, no one has come forward with a ransom for Eastman.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the US embassy in Manila told reporters they are aware of the reports. That said they are working with local authorities.