Zamboanga police are searching for four armed men who reportedly abducted a US citizen with a gunshot injury on the leg on Oct. 17.
The police said on Friday, Oct. 18, they received information about the supposed kidnapping in Sitio Tungawan in Sibuco town, Zamboanga del Norte.
“Initial reports indicate that four armed men, falsely presenting themselves as law enforcement officers, forcibly took a 26-year-old American national from his residence,” the police said in a statement.
Police said the victim tried to escape but was shot in the leg. He was taken to a boat that headed towards the high seas of Sulu or Basilan.
The Zamboanga police have activated its units, as well as coordinated with other law enforcement agencies, including the military, for the search.
“We want to assure the public, particularly the community of Sibuco, that we are doing everything in our power to secure the safe recovery of the victim,” the regional police said.
A police report seen by NewsWatch Plus identified the victim as Elliot Onil Eastman. It stated that the kidnappers were four people in black with M16 rifles.
