Police in the Philippines are currently engaged in a thorough investigation regarding the reports suggesting that kidnapped American YouTuber Elliot Eastman has met a tragic end. This case has drawn significant attention due to the high-profile nature of the incident and the impact it has on both the local and international communities. Eastman, a 26-year-old individual, was reportedly abducted and shot twice while resisting on October 17 in the coastal town of Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte province. According to various sources such as the Associated Press and local media outlets ABS-CBN and GMA Regional TV, he was dragged onto a local speedboat, known as a banca, and then sped away.

Key Developments and Witness Accounts

On Thursday, December 5, the Police Regional Office-Zamboanga (PRO-9) received information from a witness stating that Eastman died the night of his abduction on the banca. The witness also claimed that the abductors threw his body into the ocean. However, the police have yet to find a body during their search efforts. Regional police spokesperson Lt. Col. Ramoncelio Sawan informed that investigators received information from a relative of one of the suspects, who said Eastman died from gunshot wounds to his thigh and abdomen during his abduction. This information was corroborated by a key suspect who was recently arrested, and his sworn statement has been submitted to government prosecutors. Sawan expressed that while all the information points to Eastman's death, without the victim's body, there is still a glimmer of hope that the situation may not be as dire.A search for Eastman and his abductors has led to the arrest of several suspects, and three suspects were killed in a gunbattle with police last month. The police have assured the public that they are exhausting all available resources to arrest the remaining suspects and that the ongoing investigation will result in the complete resolution of the case, with all perpetrators held accountable.AP reported that Sawan informed Eastman's Filipino wife and the U.S. Embassy in Manila about his reported death. Eastman, who traveled to the Philippines 18 months ago, shared his life in the country through his YouTube Channel. His bio reads that he met the love of his life deep in the mountains of the red zone of the Philippines and is the first and only foreigner to have lived in Sibuco for a long period. He posted his last YouTube video on October 15, two days before his alleged kidnapping, where he was seen eating noodles, doing yoga, and documenting the heavy rain.This case has sparked widespread concern and interest, and the police are working diligently to bring closure to the family and the public. The search for answers continues as the investigation unfolds.