BASILAN Governor Hadjiman Hataman-Salliman clarified on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, that there is no truth to the report that the abducted American citizen was taken to Basilan province.
Salliman said he immediately mobilized all government resources and contacted the security forces for possible lookout of the kidnappers and their captive anywhere in Basilan province when the news broke out on Friday, October 18, that an American citizen was abducted the night before in Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte.
Elliot Onil Eastman, 26, who married a native of Sibuco, was abducted by four armed men from their residence Thursday night in Barangay Poblacion.
“Since then, we have been monitoring and continue to monitor until now, but still there has been no indication of the American captive anywhere in Basilan,” Salliman said in a statement Tuesday, October 22.
Salliman’s clarification is in response to the statement of the police about the possibility of the kidnappers taking their captive to the island provinces.
He added the entire Basilan province is saturated with government forces and all areas are accessible by and under control of government troops together with the friendly forces like the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
“Kaya, walang posibilidad na nandito o nakarating sila dito. Mahigpit na binabantayan ng ating tropa kasama ang friendly forces ang buong probinsya. So, Wala talaga silang mapuntahan (So, there is no possibility of them being here or getting here. Our troops along with friendly forces are closely monitoring the entire province. So, they really have nowhere to go),” Salliman said.
He also pointed out that Basilan has been declared free of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) militants, thus there are no more ASG members or kidnappers in the province.
He likewise said that no community in Basilan would dare harbor the kidnappers.
Brigadier General Romeo Juan Macapaz, Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) director, said they are investigating speculation that Eastman was taken to Basilan province.
Macapaz, who arrived in Basilan on Sunday, October 20, said there is no proof of life yet of the captive as search operations to locate Eastman has continued.
“Yun ang tinitignan natin kung nandito nga talaga, kasi hanggang ngayon wala pa tayong proof of life, wala pa tayong nakitan indicators so ngayon kasalukuyan pa tayong hinahanap (That's what we're looking at if it's really here, because until now we don't have proof of life, we haven't seen any indicators so now we're still looking),” Macapaz said in a statement.
Cash reward
The municipal government of Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte is offering P150,000 cash reward to anyone who could provide information that will lead to the resolution of Eastman’s abduction.
Sibuco Mayor Joel Ventura said P100,000 is for any information leading to the whereabouts of Eastman.
Ventura said P50,000 is for any information leading to the location or identification of the motorboat, locally known as jungkong, the abductors have used in the abduction.
“We urged individuals who may have knowledge or leads regarding this unfortunate event to come forward. Rest assured, all information provided will be treated with highest level of confidentiality, and we guarantee protection of those who assist in their investigation,” Ventura said in a statement Tuesday, October 22.
He said the municipal government remains fully committed to ensuring the safety and security of all residents and visitors in Sibuco.
Meanwhile, the Crisis Incident Management Task Group (CIMTG) “Eastman” in collaboration with local government units, the military, and allied forces, continues its relentless pursuit operation following the abduction of the American in Sibuco.
“These efforts are based on intelligence reports and insights from the profiles of persons of interest,” Brigadier General Bowenn Joey Masauding, Police Regional Office-9 director and CIMTG head, said in a statement.
Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Oder and Dangerous Drugs, said the abduction will have a bad effect to the image and economy of Zamboanga Peninsula.
Dela Rosa said for so long a time, Zamboanga Peninsula has been peaceful and “the people are happy since there is no more kidnapping, and no more Abu Sayyaf.”
“Now there is again abduction and yet the victim is a foreign national. The incident will have negative effect on the peace and order and it will affect the economy of the region if this will not be immediately solved,” Dela Rosa said in a press conference Monday, October 21, in Zamboanga City. (SunStar Zamboanga)