Agents from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) visited Zamboanga del Norte on Saturday to conduct an investigation into the reported abduction of an American national.
The victim, identified as 26-year-old Elliot Onil Eastman, who is married to a Filipina, was kidnapped by four armed men on Thursday in Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte.
According to Efraem Roldan, media relations officer of Sibuco’s crisis management committee, five FBI agents met with Mayor Joel Ventura to gather updates on the case.
The FBI agents also visited the home of Eastman’s wife in Sitio Tungawan, Barangay Poblacion, Sibuco.
Police and military forces are currently conducting search operations to locate Eastman.
Roldan added that authorities are still determining whether the abduction is a case of kidnapping for ransom.
Earlier, the Philippine National Police in Zamboanga reported they have identified persons of interest who may be involved in Eastman’s abduction.
Initial reports suggest that four armed men, pretending to be police officers, forcibly took Eastman from his home, shot him in the leg when he resisted, and transported him by boat.