The reward for information that can help find American Elliot Eastman is now P500,000.

The Office of the Third District Representative of Zamboanga del Norte has added P350,000 to the P150,000 offered earlier by the local government of Sibuco.

As of this writing, no one has provided information to the police just yet.

The reward money will be given to whoever can point to the banca allegedly used to kidnap Eastman on October 17, 2024, as well as the victim’s whereabouts.

“Wala pa tayong report regarding that kasi kung meron, malaking progress yun kasi ang binibigyan natin ng reward money yung makapagtuturo sa bangka, yung makapagturo doon sa location ng ating biktima,” said P/Lt. Col. Helen Galvez, spokesperson of Police Regional Office (PRO)-9.

Galvez said they continue to coordinate with other law enforcement agencies in other parts of Mindanao.

“Kasama po sila sa paghahanap dito sa ating biktima; they are active on that. Sinasabi natin ASG-free tayo sa area, hindi naman ito nagde-deter sa paghahanap natin, so kasama sila na nakikipagtulungan sa atin. May mga intelligence report din na tumutukoy sa ibang areas not just in Region 9,” Galvez said.

Agents of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have also started investigating the incident.

On October 17, four armed men allegedly barged into Eastman’s house in Barangay Poblacion, Sibuco and introduced themselves as law enforcers.

They allegedly shot Eastman’s leg when he refused to go with them. Eastman was then forced to board a banca, which may have headed to Sulu or Basilan.

Eastman has been living in the province for nearly five months after he got married to a resident in the area.