[Source]
Elliot Onil Eastman, a 26-year-old American YouTuber from Vermont, was kidnapped by armed men in black from a coastal village in the Philippines on Thursday night, just months after marrying a local woman. The Philippine police reported that Eastman was shot in the leg while attempting to escape before the assailants abducted him in a speedboat.
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About the victim: Eastman had initially come to the Philippines a year and a half ago to marry a woman from Zamboanga City, who later turned out to be a scammer. After losing a significant amount of money, he eventually found love again and married a woman from Sibuco about five months ago. Eastman had recently converted to Islam and had been running a YouTube channel named ElliotBeastman, where he documented his life as one of the few foreigners in the area which he referred to as the “red zone” of the Philippines.
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Investigations underway: Reports indicate that Eastman was forcibly taken from his wife’s home by four men who identified themselves as police officers. Eyewitnesses noted that the gunmen were armed with M16 rifles and quickly escaped in a speedboat, raising suspicions that the Jihadist militant Abu Sayyaf group might be involved. Local police initiated a pursuit, but the kidnappers evaded capture. heading south toward the provinces of Basilan or Sulu, known for insurgent activity. Local authorities, which are investigating the case as a potential kidnapping for ransom, have urged anyone with information to come forward as they continue their search for Eastman and his captors.
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