ZAMBOANGA CITY ? Authorities have filed criminal complaints for kidnapping and illegal detention against three suspects behind the abduction of a US citizen in the province of Zamboanga del Norte last week, police said Wednesday.

Brig. Gen. Bowenn Joey Masauding, police regional director, said the case was filed on Tuesday afternoon before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office in Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte.

Lt. Col. Helen Galvez, public information officer of the police regional office, said they filed a case of kidnapping and serious illegal detention based on the extra-judicial confession of the two suspects who surrendered that Elliot Eastman was seized in exchange for ransom.

Galvez said the two did not mention the amount of ransom to be demanded from Eastman’s family in their extra-judicial confession.

In Camp Crame, Philippine National Police (PNP) acting public information officer Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said that Eastman has not been found.

''We remain hopeful he (Eastman) is alive,'' she said.

''If you recall, we said we have reasonable ground to believe the victim did not go far. First of all, he was shot in the leg and the boat they used, especially the white motorized boat was not built for a long distance trip,'' added Fajardo.

Masauding, who also heads the Critical Incident Management Task Group (CIMTG) “Eastman”, did not identify the accused except to say six were principal suspects.

Masauding said two of the three suspects in their custody surrendered while the other one was arrested in a pursuit operation.

He said CIMTG “Eastman” have established the identities of the suspects involved in the kidnapping of Eastman in close collaboration with the National Bureau of Investigation, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, Western Mindanao Command, and Philippine Coast Guard.

Eastman, 26, of Vermont who married a native of Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte, was seized by four armed men from their residence on October 17 in the coast of Barangay Poblacion

One of the four gunmen shot Eastman in the leg after he resisted. The victim was dragged to a waiting motorboat.

Masauding said search and rescue operations for Eastman continue across the Zamboanga Peninsula and nearby areas.

The cash reward being offered to anyone who could provide information that will lead to solving Eastman’s kidnapping has increased to P500,000. DMS