American Reportedly Kidnapped From Southern Philippine Town, Search Underway

American Reportedly Kidnapped From Southern Philippine Town, Search Underway
A policeman checks an area where an American identified as Elliot Onil Eastman, from Vermont, was reportedly abducted by gunmen in Sibuco town, Zamboanga del Norte province, southern Philippines, on Oct. 18, 2024. Philippine National Police Regional Office 9 via AP
|Updated:
0:00

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine police said Friday it has launched a search after gunmen reportedly abducted an American national, who was shot in the leg as he tried to resist before being spirited away from a southern Philippine coastal town by speedboat.

If confirmed to be a case of kidnapping for ransom, it would be the latest reminder of the long-running security problems that have hounded the southern Philippines.