Elliot Also Says (3 Weeks Ago)... "feels like i'm getting kidnapped or something like that......" th-cam.com/users/liveLAiA4GNpixE?si=NKpp9vcDq7Fr2iF7&t=6310
This is why this region of Philippines has been left behind in terms of economy...Mindanao still is d wild wild west of d Philippines, people in this place still literally have caveman mentality....
@@thetnpickers They taking shooting sports very seriously there. Some of the nicest gun shops I've seen anywhere were in Manila, Cebu, etc. Unfortunately there is a lack of safety at ranges there. The Filipino range officers often do not wear ear or eye protection and do not preach a lot of discipline from shooters. Finger off the trigger is not something I heard once.
Exactly. Then to go rub it in their faces by setting up a residence on their doorstep. The only thing that might have saved him is if he was a convert to islam, but in that case, one usually is given, or adopts an Islamic name. Eastman sounds Jewish to me. It would be almost sadly funny if he was a Jew, in which case he might be a gold medal Darwin Award winner. I was telling that other Klatt indiot Jew up in Siargao Island he was F'g nuts to be living where he was and then blogging his activities, wherabouts or just existence. His latest vids are blatantly zionist too and supportive of Israels Oct 7 Gaza genocide. Darwin award winners all around..You start straying west of the Buda Highway and the political temperature starts rising. Lets not speculate whether his family was involved. I doubt it as he was somewhat of a gravy train, now or potential, for the family.
@@istrumguitars How many muslims get killed or ripped off by westerners every day ? It's in the Millions yearly. They are having their children mudered by Israel in Gaza, Syria, Lebanon right now as we speak and who is helping Israel with the weapons and military backing ? And who stole whose land ? Go look at a map of Israel and Palestine for the last 100 years and tell me Palestine is the problem. They are not and Muslims know they are being screwed by the west, so when a Muslim sister marries a westerner .....
I have been living in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, since 2001. That year, I moved here there was a huge attack on a nearby resort by the Abu Shayaff who was from the area that Elliot was in. Many people were killed including 2 Americans. In the weeks following we learned that the terrorists had logistical support from the southern part of Palawan Island. Soon many foreign governments warned their nationals from traveling to southern Palawan. I figured our governments knew more about the situation than I did and complied. Then a high-school friend came to visit me. He took the position that the US government was BS. He traveled to the south part of the island and returned with no problem. Soon afterwards, a German couple decided to do the same thing and were beheaded. And later a Dutch couple went south and were kidnapped. They were able to escape. My point is... if there is a warning to not travel to an area, then there is a reason. A few may disregard and return safe, but that doesn't guarantee you will. The warnings are there for a reason.
That’s the Dos Palmas kidnappings. The final confrontation by the security forces is interesting. The kidnappers were cornered. But they escaped by paying off the security forces. Unbelievable? Read up about it
He married a Muslim woman and stayed in a Muslim area while I'm assuming not converting to Islam. He probably didn't do that solely for TH-cam but he did mention routinely that he was the only Westerner living in that area as a way of marketing his channel. TH-cam money has people doing some incredibly stupid things all over the world. Walking around Jamaican and Haitian ghettos, walking around Manila slums, touring bombed out Marawi, etc. Hope he turns up but it's not looking good. He either died and there is nothing to ask for releasing him or they had other plans for him. But no ransom demand is a very bad sign.
I'm Dutch and Dutch governmental travel advice to Mindanou has a map with a huge red area on it. Basically the island is split in half. I'm in Mindanou now and if i travel to the red zone there will be zero help from the Dutch embassy/government. Athough i'm an aspriring youtuber it's safe to say i will not go there. Being able to visit 90% of the Phils is enough for me and im not risking my life to score some internetpoints.
Unfortunately, he's so naive. Did not know how dangerous the place is. Plus the fact that he already got hold of information that some people are trying to get him kidnapped. He should have packed his things, bring his wife with him (or not), then leave and never ever return the moment he got that info! I am a Filipino, but I would NEVER EVER want to be in the neighborhood he was in, I don't care if my wife lives there, but the place he was in and how he conducted himself was just too dangerous! If he survives, he should pack up and leave the place, with or without his wife!
@@ronnie5329bro its well known anywhere in the Mindanao carries risk of being kidnapped. Idk why these foreigners think its a good idea to settle there. Only place thats known to be safe is Davao city.
@richtertan5824 i was watching his channel yesterday... the video that he post, do things in the wrong way and his manners doing things was a little bit weird. When you watch his videos you can notice quickly and notice some reaction of her sometimes.
@@ronnie5329 Everybody knows its dangerous there bro. He knew where he was, he just thought nothing would happen for some reason. Allot of expats think they are untouchable until they get touched.
Never never never mention money; how much you have/ or spent on something in an open forum. It doesn't matter where you are, or where you live you never mention financial. You just set yourself up for this kind of thing.
Big time. Even my first week in Calabria at my small home I bought,, there was a knock on the door. It was "the local contractor" who read me a list of repairs "he felt I needed done at the home". Local mafia. I had him do a few unsolicited jobs for me then my brother in law got him off my back luckely.
True. Even if you try to go to the opposite direction and tell them you're poor and on disability, if you're an American they will not believe you. Better to keep yer lip zipped!
@@acornsucks2111years ago, on my first visit here,(yes, it was to meet a girl 🤗) a friend told me to bring a set of poor clothes with me if I wanted to venture out from the resort or hotel I was staying at, in downtown Manila and wear them and carry a rolled up newspaper in my back pocket to avoid looking like a tourist.. looking like an old ex-pat local rather than a tourist.. even now, my wife wants me to dress like I have money, I have heard that to a Filipina they are judged by the man that they marry, apparently status is important to them, but when I go out for my morning walk I still try to look as incognito as I can wearing a sweatshirt or tank top and sweats tho she gets mad 😂😂
Thanks for sharing Tim. This is a good wakeup call for me as I'm very much a risk taker. I definitely wouldn't have done what Elliot did, but perhaps it's time to re-think some of the things I do in my own life. Hope Elliot is released soon.
I scanned through some of his TH-cam videos yesterday. In two minutes I could see that he was not that bright. He seemed socially unaware and immature. I understand he is 26 but some people do not have the ability to know what they should and should not talk about in the moment. He put himself in this situation. There is nothing that anyone can do. Maybe he should not have been there but it was his choice, and he had a passport and plane ticket to go there.
A lot of people have done a lot by 26. At that age I had a degree, a wife and a platoon in Iraq. Not earth shattering, but many people can do a lot by that age.
Thanks so much for doing this video Tim. This is something we all hate to think about. But in some areas security needs to be taken Very seriously. Praying for his safe return!
Well he wouldn't know would he? I put myself in his position, lending money, i'm much older than Elliot, yet when my wife and i arrived in Cebu, Christmas 2007/2008 we decided to lend money to neighbours etc. We were the popular ones in the neighbourhood initially until we found our creditors reneged on their payments. We were losing our hard earned savings, which we could not afford to do, so we stopped lending. We then became unpopular and the nasty stuff came out. Too much to list here. We still have our home there on Cebu, but now we have learned not to be too close to the locals if you don't want trouble. We are still owed money from then. It was a learning experience for both of us.
Yes, as long as they owe you money they will need to scapegoat you as the bad person. There is a reason most of the world remains in poverty, because the people who have any power are keeping everyone else down. Not rocket science.
"can i borrow" in the philippines, "can i have and don't ever expect to see this money again". That's just the way it is if you're a kano, or if you're a filipina/o who has gone abroad and is 'rich'.
What struck me the most, besides his naivety is how he behaves. This is a very dangerous area, strictly Muslim. You can't go around wherever you go half naked, while his wife is covered from head to toe.
@@generoush3823 I think Moros are Muslims who doesn’t like people of other religions living amongst them. They will behead you. I heard some would drink alcohol and smoke which are ban by the Muslim religion.
I think that he is toast.. It will most likely come out that his wifes family is linked to this ordeal.. Marrying a Filipino Muslim was his first real mistake. The complications and Drama from that put him in the kettle and soon they put the wood sticks underneath and lit the fire 🔥. It was about money and the rancid diseases of greed and saving face occurred. He has a touch of narcissism and low awareness which blocked his judgment of the severity of the situation. Regular Filipinos are not tolerated very well by the filipino muslim community. Him being a westerner was even worse. A word of caution for westerners who chose to live in the Philippines. And i mean any place.... never talk about money. Don't lend it or borrow it. Don't give money for Charity. If you do.. you must do it in secrecy. Never let others control your money. Stay level headed. Low key and friendly to everyone... Stay out of squabbles. The thin skin of average Filipinos is a risk factor.. Mind your own business and enjoy what you can while living there. Peace out.....
What you mean is thin skinned Filipinos leads to you being on thin ice ? they are easily offended and easily take things personal ? are they also envious ?
very good advice. I try to blend in to my surroundings here. smile at everyone, engage in banter if someone makes the first move, dress conservative, (no jewelry, fancy watch, ) generally I won’t wander too far away from our house at night, although most of the barangay people here have seen me, it’s a fairly newer phase of housing, most residents seem to be better off financially than the average Filipino, a lot have cars, I still like to keep a low profile..
I'm Filipino, and you're right that there's a barrier between regular Filipinos and Muslim Filipinos. I myself don't personally know any Muslim, and I'm also indifferent towards them. Those that live around us have a bad reputation. I've heard stories of people getting beat up by those guys. They have a solid community. If you have a fight with one, their whole community goes after you. I also have zero interest in going to the islamic areas of southern Philippines. Those places actually have never been really conquerd by the Spaniards.
Unfortunately we will never see him again. Ive been all over the Philippines but one area I went to to get my filipina girlfriends ten year old son from his fathers mothers house was in the Sultan Kudarat area of Mindanao I didnt like the vibe at all. We left Cebu and flew in General Santos airport and took a bus from there and then a trike for forty-five minutes. The farther we got from the airport and two hours into the bus ride to the middle of nowhere peoples attitudes changed towards me the 6'4" wite guy. We went and picked up her son and the father of her sons sister gave us a ride back to the nearest town with a hotel which was 45 minutes from the house and of course she charged me 2000 pesos! White man tax! Little did she know I would have paid 5000php to get out of the village they lived in after I saw at least three guys with rifles. We were supposed to stay two days in the town to wait for his father to come back to where ever he was because he wanted some type of compensation for taking care of his own son. The next morning I paid one of the hotel staff 5000 php to drive us the two hours to the airport and we took the first flight out even though it was going to Taclobon and not Cebu. It was ok though we spent two nights at the XYZ hotel and spoiled her son. Nedless to say I have never felt so uneasy in anyplace before like there and Ive been allover China and South America to rural areas and felt safer. Ill pray for that kid but its not good especially because they already shot him.
Man, you look alot like a guy that was trying to fly back to his wife in 2020 from SanFrancisco but didn't have the proper paperwork and I was trying to help him or you possibly.
Good call. Anyone who wants money for looking after their own children are not normal filipinos who love their famillies, like anyo other normal person, is not someone you want to have anyhting to do with. Probably a drug addict or thug of some sort. There are few low lifes in the PH but they are there and should be avoided at all costs.
This is just really sad, Tim. I think you did a fine job explaining this as sensitively as you could have. I'm just two weeks away now, from arriving to my Tiny House in Guimaras and I've often been warned of the dangers of being a foreigner wondering around alone in on my motorbike. I have only been mugged once, back in 1993 while on the outskirts of Manila. But, being kidnapped at my age of 63, well it's a scary thought, for sure. The Philippines is, by in large, a very safe place to be. But, being the guy that sticks out like a sore thumb, one has to be careful. I agree, that he made some mistakes by publishing his video ( or perhaps talking to the locals ) about his 5/6 business or the expense of his new addition. Though, I don't blame him for the lack of experience he has Here at home, I have a Concealed Carry Permit, but in the Philippines, I have no real means of self defense, nor do their laws allow me to use deadly force for my defense. You stay safe yourself, Tim.
Living in areas where terrorists are active is never best idea even if someone try to be discreet about it (sooner or later many people will know where you live not matter what ). Mugging is another thing - from I heard Philippines are quite safe but there are at least two cities where muggings happen (mostly at nights rather ) - Manila (capitals are generally more dangerous, especially their bad neighborhoods ) and Angeles (freelance ). But even in safe cities and even in safest countries it's good to be aware of your surrounding and do nothing stupid what enhances risk. For defense you don't need lethal force - good pepper spray will close eyes of attackers for enough time that you can leave. In Philippines it is legal. Also I opt to not carry too much money and expensive things (in situation where you clearly see that your defense may not be successful especially when someone pull gun at you - then better just throw belongings at ground than eat bullets... ) to not regret too much if I would lost it.
@@morenomt27 I don't know statistics but I read that is safe. It is prone to typhoons, particularly from June to November but in Philippines some natural disasters happen from time to time in most locations so it isn't really a con. But only hospital is in Jordan and besides some medical center nearby, there is nothing more on entire island (at least according to google maps ). And probably this hospital isn't for everything so rather transport to Iloilo would be needed in more serious cases. How island looks, some youtubers covered: th-cam.com/users/results?search_query=Guimaras
@@morenomt27 It's really nice here. Just a short boat ride from the City, but still very quiet here. Though, it seems that even with the RORO being the only way to get cars across, the cars are much newer models lately, than years ago. It used to be nothing but used Jeepneys.
Excellent video, Tim. And presented with so much compassion. Thank you for all of your sincere kindness towards the Philippines, and towards its people and its Expats.
@@TimKyoutubeYOU COULDNT WAIT LONGWR THAN A DAY TO COMMENT ON THIS?? IF YOU ARE NOT TRYING TO HELP HIS FAMILY LOCATE & SAVE HIM...THEN WHY YOU POSTING A DAY AFTER HE IS KIDNAPPED?????
@@WhatevaHawaii i don't see how this harms Eastman any further than he has been.. in fact featuring his situation is helpful to publicise it further so that government, private sector and the people who may hear of it including those in the concerned areas may be moved to help to the extent that they can
@@mikek8816 He’s living in a shack in the middle of ISIL Abu Sayyaf home turf…dude couldn’t have been living on more than $600 USD a month. Let’s be careful how we describe what he was doing, piss poor idea but … he was and is broke compared to people in the US.
I am a Filipino myself but I would never ever visit that Southern part of the Philippines🇵🇭. I just don't know what would happen to me especially that it's kind of isolated. I just hope that he's okay. Pray🙏🙏🙏🙇🙇🙇🙌🙌🙌
@@OptionSpreadProfitsDavao is Safe just don’t go to the South part of Mindanao, Like Sulu Tawi Tawi or Zamboanga… The locals were Warn you not to go All this kind of places …… Most Filipinos don’t go to this kind of places unless u from there ..
Tim, your empathy is showing. Good video and thanks for the share. After visiting for months at a time, I will be landing in Tacloban for the final move this Friday to join my wife on Samar. Although I also enjoy the sarcastic side of you, you wear this empathy well. Keep up the good work and all life’s best to you, Chrissy and little Dale.
Welcome to the philippines. thanks for the kind comment. hard to do a topic like this and be realistic but not darken the door of an unfortunate situation.
@@TimKyoutube the people in those places in Mindanao grew up with a certain culture and mindset and there has been continuous heavy armed conflict there over many generations. The past presidents and local leaders have done some good work but also coupled with the bad like corruption, embezzlement of public funds, drug trafficking, enabling bad armed factions and bad political families who enable bad armed people etc. Though former pres. Duterte in a 'short' 6 years was really able to have positive effect.. but whilst hopefully, God willing, positive change continues ( though that's hard with the current weak and corrupt president ) still the generation of people who grew up "living by the gun" may have to pass away or grow to their grey hairs and doddering with a cane 😅 before it can be that a 'foreigner' may possibly live there with some relative expectation of peace? Meanwhile, unless he is on a mission direct from God Himself, it just has to be accepted that it is very foolish for a 'foreigner' to live there when even Filipinos would think twice about just visiting and on the second thought they'd prolly change their mind 😂😂
I’m glad see your wisdom shining through this FUBAR. Back in 1982 I was stationed at NAS Cubi Point. I took a road trip and was stopped by Philippines 🇵🇭 Army and asked were I way going and warned me that this was an area controlled by the NPA. I’m like wtf so I respectfully thanked them shook their hands and left. I was stationed at CP for over 4 years and one thing I learned was you have to change to the Filipino way not the other way around. I meet so many Filipino’s that would take their shit off there back to help and America service man. Respect there way of life and you will see that they will respect you. God bless Tim and family
I lived in the Philippines for over 2 years and my GF was from Zamboanga. The chances of me visiting Zamboanga was ZERO. Farthest South I ever lived was Cagayan De Oro.
Been here 31 years, i can tell you no matter how modern or civilised a place looks in the Philippines, the people are still tribal. For your longevity its critical that you keep a low profile and becareful of your wifes family if you truly have any sort of wealth.
I lived in parts of East Asia for 33 years and like you, I kept in mind the realization that East Asians are generally very tribal, so I would never be completely accepted and therefore should always remember that I was a guest and an outsider. The key expression that you used, and that I lived by, was "low profile". As a former infantryman, I avoided ambushes by staying quiet and keeping off the ridgeline in my dealings with people. I was quiet, modest, calm, pleasant, frugal and tried not to be conspicuous. As a result of all the above, I did very well financially, the local people always liked me and I never had any major problems.
Im American my wife is Chavacano from Zamboanga City. The area where this young man lives is not a place a foreigner should live. The people are generally good, but you are still a foreign person. The muslim areas are not safe as these are clans. The clan sees you as an outsider. The muslim clans are very radical. Zamboanga City has a muslim population also. My wife and I dont live in Zamboanga because my safety is at risk. The Chavacano people are great, but the Muslim population eyeballs me to no end. Its a very different feeling than any muslim area in the U.S. The muslims here blame the outside world for the internal issues they have. This makes them see your life as cheap. I can tell you I have been in this region and traveled through the areas as far as Dapitan and beyond. Many spots are great, and many are dangerous. Just make good decisions on traveling folks.
I totally agree with you I am from Zamboanga City but some foreigners are not afraid to visit some dangerous place,even though I told them or mentioned them in a dangerous place.
Hope this dude gets out okay. I was in Mindanao last year with the family and all was well. Not once did I feel I was in danger or for my family; however, I did stay up north and with locals that were from there. Praying for this dude gets freed and looks at this as a life learned lesson.
If he had asked the locals, the Filipinos who have no interest, nothing to gain by where he lives or where he stays.. they would've told him: Don't. But i think some may have already told him and he just didn't listen
Anyone engaging in the 5-6 other other lending shcemes in the PH is putting themselves in danger. As a foreigner living in a dangerous area doing this and advertising his wealth online is unbelievably foolish at best.
Don't worry. The Philippines is paradise. He'll be fine. When one mentions the realities of the place, they say you're being negative and to go back where you come from which in and of itself is extremely ignorant!!!
@@jdan35 Yeah! He's having a lot of fun right about now! It sure is more fun in the Philippines.😂 And, so are the innumerable of foreigners miserably stuck in bad situations with their pinays and their families not to mention those who are married, who get to buy businesses, buy land, build homes, lend money, etc... etc... There's more simping fun in the Philippines!!! 💯
That guy was an idiot. Everyone knows it's not safe in the south of the Philippines. His neighbors even warned him yet he still remained. His ignorance cost him his life.
I watched a lot of Elliot Eastman video this is my opinion he did not like it there he said he didn’t feel safe. He had arguments with some local people, probably over lending money been a loan shark. He was talking about leaving that area, I think either he’s wife told the kidnappers that he is going to leave that village very soon, or the local people who he had arguments and fell out of favour with did. So the kidnappers had to move fast and kidnap him before he left the village. Soon as he felt that he did not feel safe their and was scared for he’s safety and own well being he should have left immediately that is your gut feeling telling you something is not right. Your gut feeling is like a 2nd brain and he should have acted and listened to it.
Looking at his immaturity, do you think he would leave the area after lending those people that amount of money? Leaving the area would only be good for the people who got the money as they would no longer feel the urge to pay him back after he leaves. I doubt he would leave, even if he felt unsafe. I'm sure he would not consider that money as a loss (and possible safe his life). Be greedy and not able to take a loss, can cost you your life. I think those kidnappers only saw what amount he lend to others as well what he has been spending. He was just a good catch ...
Zamboanga City is a safe place with many rich businessmen and big shopping malls and condominiums. What makes Zamboanga City looks bad is because of its name , many people thinks Zamboanga del Norte is the same place as Zamboanga city.
Complacency kills....I feel bad for the young man and his family. Gunshot wound not treated will get infected; not a good thing, I lived in Dau for about 8 months; kept my head on a swivel. Prayers for him and his family. Thank you for sharing, even though sad.
Also living in The Philippines, from what I’ve observed the people that have problems like this are due to their inability to integrate properly, be friendly with everyone, keep your negative thoughts to yourself, don’t show off and don’t make enemies, you should be ok
So very true. Im a church member here in General Santos, with my wife, and have integrated quite well. I attend services every Sunday and go to events organised by the church. People are happy to greet me and chat with me when they see me. I also do some volunteer work. I feel safe and part of the community. However, there is another (white)foreigner who is a Buddhist, who is also married to a Filipina and attends the same church. He arrives an hour late, speaks to no-one, attends no events and during services, he mumbles his chants. He comes across as so arrogant and disrespectful. He fails to do everything you mentioned in your original comment and as a result, he is an unpopular person in the church community. God bless.
Your outlook is very keen. Very insightful. I'm a Filipino (in my late 70s). Our culture is politicking. We are divided not by race, not by religion, not by regions, BUT BY POLITICS! Mindanao island is under about 10 warlords (Duterte, Go, muslim factions, MNLF, NPA, etc.). That is how we were governed in olden times. The Visayas were ruled by Datus, and LapuLapu was the Datu warrior who killed Magellan when Magellan landed in Cebu. That is why EXPATS are forbidden to talk Philippine politics, lest they may be branded negative when meeting opposing political groups. If you've been following the Senate Investigations of Duterte, you could see for yourself Duterte's demeanor, warlord mentality. Well, it seems like the entire PNP (Philippine National Police) is implicated in murders, drugs, killings, kidnappings, etc, as one general admitted. Warlord mentality. We just got our Independence in 1946 (my birth year) and instructed by the Americans how to continue running the country and copy the Constitution of the U.S. We are still learning the Democratic way. The North being controlled by Marcos, while the Visayas by oiligarchs, and Mindanao by the Duterte, Go, etc). The kidnapped EXPAT probably bulldozed his way with horns blaring and caught the attention of the underworld.
as a Swedish person i can see that the swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has warnings to travel to almost whole island of Mindanao as they dont think its safe.
My dad pretty much stopped giving me unsolicited advice on my 23rd birthday. But in this case, even at 26 a family member with better judgement should have stepped in.
You nailed it. Very unwise. I live in Taguig Philippines part time. Expats everywhere here and over by Subic Bay the other part. I was always told to stay away from the southern provinces
I know of more than one Expat who has recently expressed an interest in Western Mindanao and Sulu / Jolo. Kummander actually did a trip…pretty irresponsible in my mind, as it places the location in peoples mind. Guys this should be an absolute no go zone. Abu Sayyaf, ISIL and Moro Islamic Liberation Forces are in this area. They were kinda defeated by the PAF…guys they weren’t killed or driven out, they assimilated into the community… Why? Because a lot of the fighters are locals…fishermen are pirates and vise versa… this isn’t something to be played with. PAF PNP SAF and US Special Operations forces will need to be involved. It’s very clear Eliot had no clue about the conflict in this region, or seriously underestimated the current threat level.
before kumander daot went there, there were already many foreigners who went there even kyle of becoming filipino. They thought it was safe because they have been going in there many times and nothing happened to them. I think you are safe if you know many locals, they can protect you. But if you are alone, yeah you need to be afraid. Even me, I'm Filipino, there are many terrorist bombings there in the past, am still afraid to go there until now. Its hard to risk it. Also there are lots of foreigners getting into the the dangerous area of Tondo in Manila. That's another thing we could wait in the news.
I’ve been here on and off for over 20 years. I’ve made a ton of mistakes. I sailed here 2004 on my 40 foot yacht, I’ve sailed sulu sea and South China Sea. I honestly cannot believe I’m still alive. I have angered powerful people here due to my drunken arrogance. I sailed with my wife, local lady, from Coron to Singapore via Borneo. I literally had a target on my back. Everyone knew my reputation for being an angry drunk. I never actually hit anyone but my words and size spoke volumes. I have been in the southern territories of south Palawan. I have yet to travel to mindanao. I still can’t believe I’m alive. This poor kid is going to grow up quickly or perish. I pray that he makes it.
Hi, Tim. New subscriber here. I thought I'd post something here because of all the comments slamming Zamboanga. I spend a little time in Zamboanga City every year. I'm an American Muslim and my wife is Tausug. In general, I've always felt far safer there than I did when visiting Manila. Kidnapping is an issue in the US as well, but it's not used to stigmatize a community. Interest loans attract unsavory elements in every country so I wouldn't be surprised if the kidnapping was done by a local gang. If any other vloggers are reading this comment, having situational awareness and knowing the local customs is a must.
*_This guy is 100% accountable and complacent in his kidnapping! I’m not directly trying to victim blame him, of course! But he Absolutely is at fault for not taking his own safety seriously! To call him immature is an understatement! He’s immature even for his age of twenty six years old! He’s as naive as an adolescent child! He treated the topic of kidnapping like it was a plot point in an action movie or something! He then portrayed himself to the people around him like he has access to liquid, movable income very easily!_* 😒
Thank you Tim for being transparent and sending this sobering message out to the world. Unfortunately, this young man DID NOT know what he was doing, and the world is witnessing the consequences of making major decisions without thorough planning and advice. 🙏
You spent over $2000 U.S. on solar and a business in an area where there are no-one, other than muslims? You are insane! By spending that much money; your looking for trouble! I would have taken my wife out of the area.
Tim, really good video and thank you fo covering this and analyzing it for us. I am really glad you were ok from all the close calls. Sir thank you for heing a hero. I feel bad for this man that went somewhere so far away.
Great Post Tim,your analyzation of things in an expat perspective is on point👏 I do hope and pray this ends in a happy one,my prayers for you Elliott🙏🙏🙏
I lived in Surigao for a while with my fiance (now ex). Two things. One time we took a road trip down to Davao region to visit relatives. Once we arrived my ex focused on her family I went for a walk. She finally noticed I was gone and called me and asked where I was. When I told her, she said I can't do that because there was Abu Sayeff around that area. Ah, well that's nice to know NOW!. Later we rented a van to travel around and visit family. I'm prior military and routinely wear my 8-point hat and military themed clothes. As we were driving you normally see a church every 100 yards or so, I didn't see any but I saw girls riding on the back of trikes wearing hijabs and I started noticing mosques all over the place, ( i took my hat off at that point ). We stopped at the main market and I refused to get out. I told my ex where the hell are you taking me? She mocked me and I was pissed. Later when at her families house I refused to get out of the van for a while since I was still pissed. Later I finally spent time with friends and relatives in the back doing the usual getting drunk while I stayed vigilant. Earlier, my ex had said these men would protect me, and I sat and looked at them later passed out drunk. I knew anyone who came would wait for the alcoholic festivities to take their effects and then come for their prize. We were in the Sultan Kurdat and Cortabato area as well. I couldn't wait to get the hell out of there. Next adventure, we'd often go for extended road trips to explore. I've been around Filipinos and the Philippines for decades and the most common barometer is the 'hey joe' barometer. Nearly all the kids and many adults will yell out to you when they see you. Well we were heading towards San Francisco in Mindanao and I started to notice none of the kids were saying 'hey joe'. My ex called me paranoid. Further down the trip, we came to a washed out bridge with a group of filipino guys 'assisting' others traverse the river to get across. I almost relinquished our scooter to them but i saw a guy come the opposite direction and he navigated the river so I did the same. My ex was worried they were going to rob us. Further down the road I started to see signs tacked up on the trees, about the NVA, CCP. In all my time and travels in the Philippines I had never seen that before and I was telling my ex. As we came upon a barrangay she saw a sign that explicitly told those entering the barrangay that NPA was not welcome. My ex said 'see, the NPA isn't here'. I"m like ok, they're not welcome in town so that obviously means they are in the jungle nearby. Da! The geography was ocean on the west and a huge inland lake on the east so there was only 2 ways to go North and South. So anyone looking to cut us off would know exactly which way were were heading. My little voice was screaming its head off and I made a command decision and told her we were turning around and going back to Surigao. She was livid because that meant we had to go past those guys again. I told her to lift up her feet if she didn't want to get wet because i wasn't slowing down. Once past the guys she showed her hostility to me by not holding on to me for the rest of the trip back to Surigao. A few days later I spoke with a PNP friend I had and told him what had happened, and he said "you made the right call, a few days prior to that the NPA and the Army had a big battle near San Francisco."
@Pj-mj7wi I lived in Butuan for almost 2 years. I had many Muslim friends they were kind and soft spoken family men. The reason I found out they were Muslim is they always asked if dishes that were served contained pork. Later when meeting their families the punjab made it obvious. But these guys were businessman living in the city.
Dude, I grew up around LA Calif. Been in and around many a "black" hoods in my day, LBC, Watts, Compton, NS of Vegas, and NEVER was bothered by anyone. Because, I minded my business, got done what I was there for, and left. I grew up in Hispanic dominated hood's all thru high school etc, same thing, never bothered by the gangsta's lol......But I was more street smart than evidently this poor guy is, and have NO inclination to EVER visit Mindinao period! Almost went to Zambaonga City to meet a filipina, but turns out she was legally married just separated 2+ years, NO THANKS!...... Not because I would be scared of the area, but WHY even bother?? Am happily living in the mountain province with my filipina and her 2 kids, in our house I built. Far enough from the big city, but an hours drive when needed to go there. Besides, I wouldn't be a good target to K'nap, too old and no relatives with money hahaha.....Hope all turns out good for Elliot, and he maybe learns a valuable lesson from his naive thinking...... How was your home visit to Huntington Beach bruh, used to go there a LOT as a teen, surfin' the coast
I binge watched them all. He was not bright, and not just for living there. He was loaning pretty large sums of money out for profit, acted foolish and walked around without a shirt, and seemed drunk at times. He recently talked about how he wanted to leave and told his wife she should get her documents so they could move. I wouldn't want my daughter stuck living far away with an idiot either, but idk if that is what happened. Could be someone he was loaning money to, or just pissed off locals who didn't appreciate a foreigner walking around shirtless in a conservative region.
What I find interesting is that early reports were that the police gave chase but lost him. How exactly did the police know about this and how were they in place to chase them?
Anyone who's marginally familiar with the PI knows the southwestern parts of the PI are still Abu Saif strongholds. I've been to Mindanoa and would never in a million years venture into the western parts of the island or any of the islands south of Zamboanga. I was there prior to covid with my ex-girlfriend who was a Philippine born U.S. Army officer who was born in the Zamboanga area. The military attache office in Manila advised her against traveling to her home village but if she did she was required to report in daily to the Army military attache while on Mindanao. She was also advised to leave her military ID and U.S. passport with me in Davoa before traveling to the province. That's how serious they saw the threat. And there was no way I was going with her to visit her family as I would stick out like a sore thumb. So...anyone who lives...or even travels in that area...is risking their safety.
Eastman...does this name indicate his possible American/Israbeli double citizenship? If yes, that would not be healthy at all in a dangerous Muslim area, especially with what the US of Israbel is doing in the middle east. Add to that his money lending operation at high interest rates and it's just a matter of time until things go dramatically bad. Just saying.
Great video again Tim ! Thanks for all your effort to bring relevant content online. Yes this sweet little boy has a ' Death wish' that no one can stop . Wonder if he is a Gen Z .. Praying for his safe release ! God Bless !
Hey Tim my dear friend, Great video. Wow, while this is so horrifying, it's also sad that Elliott didn't use common sense and good sound judgment. I will pray for Elliott's safe return. May God be with him through this horrific kidnapping. Please stay safe brother 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏.
The local Filipino warned the Expat don't go to Western Mindanao South Philippines but other they still try even the Checkpoint told them that theres Abusayyaf Terrorists living that area they don't believe.
Advertising that YOU are the bank!!??????? Might as well wear a shirt saying “ROB ME”…..telling the world (flexing) how much you have to spend ????!!!!!
Or this is all made up for the videos. They staged it all, made it look like he was shot, but not really, pig blood..All of this to get views and have a story to tell… idk people have done worse. I don’t believe this is the case, but since we’re speculating….
Please don't spread nonsense. Watch his video "Living in the Philippines most dangerous area as an American" around the 1: 53. Locals warned him that people were planning to kidnap him. He left his location two times because of it. He planned to leave Philippines with wife but he didn't make it.
Yes as my wife is from Mindinao, I watch a bunch of videos about retiring and building there, the constant talk of money, how much who is paid for what seems a little too much ....I understand that many people want to know but.... being from the USA we will see a 30k house as a great deal, but 30k from a Filipino 's perspective is lotto money. I've seen your videos as well. When we do build, my wife will be dealing with the contractors, I will be like a ghost. Of course, in an area that's not so risky. Been going to Mindinao since 2008. Best of luck to you all! Just be aware of we are in another country.
He thought he was being cute & sarcastic with the kidnapping comments, knowing subconsciously it is a reality. He was just immature. I feel bad for him and his cat, they loved each other
Remember the two Scandanavian girls who went backpacking to Morocco to show us how we’re all bigots and everyone around the world is as lovely and fluffy as the naive village they came from?
Let’s see…young guy, no solid income, TH-cam channel not doing so hot, his niche on TH-cam is “living in the red zone”, etc…..publicity stunt??? This will definitely get him views and money. Has this been done before? Absolutely!
That's actually very bewildering to me. He knows how seriously dangerous his situation and how frightened he is. Yet, it sounds like he's asking for it to happen.
Pls don't set foot in muslim area in southern mindanao near basilan and sulu,its a no go zone for foreigners,even tho the abu sayaf is near to be eliminated there are still a few there hiding in thr thick forests of sulu
@@marr737 its a problem here since way back 1990's bcoz of abu sayaf,there are less 50 members of them now down from 1,000 decade ago,our navy,coastguard,soldiers and marines encircled sulu island so the perpetrators will really have a difficulty to land the boat there,im hoping elliot will be safe
those people are not Muslim. They claim to be, but they are nothing but murdering terrorists. True Islam is about peace. True Muslims live peaceful lives and are kind doers of good for the sake of Allah. What these sick people do is truly not Islam. Read the noble Quran and ask Allah for forgiveness. May you always find peace in Allah 🤲🏾🤲🏾🤲🏾🤲🏾🤲🏾🤲🏾
Foreign TH-camrs should put out there warning contents for other tourists ..Warning them about the huge risks when you go to wrong places in the Philippines...associating to wrong people, too...
Not sure WHY someone who is aware of their situation wouldn't have acted differently. Iived in mexico for 5 years, witnessed the area getting sketchy year over year and moved back to the us. I Moved to Thailand for a couple of years, and I decided it was a better option. Returned to the us and sold/dumped everything and have been in Thailand since. Every country has its dangerous places and people. I avoid both.
Every possible mistake he could make, he made. Documented EVERYTHING about his life, including his actual home. How stupid. Wrong place to setup business.
My wife and I have family in the Philippines, and they had a lending business for a while: lending money & lending rice (yes, that's a thing). If you're going to get into that business, you have to know you can trust the people running it to do what is right. When my wife told me that 20% was standard, I refused and told her that we'd charge no more than 10%, just on ethical grounds. We "debated" it for a while, but did finally land at 10% max. I can't fathom even charging that kind of interest to people already struggling, regardless if it's standard for the culture. For the clients where were faithful all year long, I would cancel their remaining debt at Christmas as a gift. We have other ventures as well, but at the end of the day, everything my wife and I do there is focused on helping and building up the family and people around that area. Thank you for your channel. We plan on retiring there in the coming years, and look forward to living in the province where we can focus 100% of our time on ministering and building up those around us.
My Mom told me from early childhood “I do not borrow and I do not lend” and it stuck! …..sure I have helped friends or family over the many years but I make it clear I am GIVING this help and they don’t have to pay me back…..and I have only do this Very Infrequently…..I never owned a credit card for most of my life and when I did rarely ever used it….
@4:40 or maybe he has been under surveillance/casing/stalking and has underwent a few soft checks by his now captors and has began picking up on the fact with an increased paranoia but without the life experience to know what to do with the red flags other then emote about it.
Hi, Tim. New Subscriber here. Thank you for covering this untimely kidnapping of Elliot E. We continue to pray that he's safe and will return back home the soonest.
Yeah that's crazy but the way he dresses makes him appear rich. As an American living in Mindanao. I never had a problem. Tim you are absolutely right.
Dresses rich? Almost every video I've seen of him he's topless except for the clip in this video where he's wearing a cheap Beatles vest he probably bought from a market for a couple of dollars.
That guy has spoken danger into his own life over time and that dangerous simply manifested, lesson from this is be careful what you say! Proverbs 21:23 says Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity. Proverbs 18:21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 17:27-28 The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered. 28 Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.
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Elliot Also Says (3 Weeks Ago)... "feels like i'm getting kidnapped or something like that......"
th-cam.com/users/liveLAiA4GNpixE?si=NKpp9vcDq7Fr2iF7&t=6310
Muslim is problem in the Philippines Muslim religion is bullshit
Where did the guy get financed to get over there and settled?
Guys are allowed to be stupid in their 20s It was his tragedy to be stupid in a country without a safety net
@@acornsucks2111he married her too soon
@@alfredopampanga9356he married too soon
I am a Filipino from Mindanao. But I will never go to Sibuco, which is very close to Sabah and has been a hotbed of Muslim insurgency.
We have a large amount of visitors from the Philippines every month. We thank all of our Filipino brothers and sisters for their support
This is why this region of Philippines has been left behind in terms of economy...Mindanao still is d wild wild west of d Philippines, people in this place still literally have caveman mentality....
Yes he’s in a muslim area goodluck
@@thetnpickers They taking shooting sports very seriously there. Some of the nicest gun shops I've seen anywhere were in Manila, Cebu, etc. Unfortunately there is a lack of safety at ranges there. The Filipino range officers often do not wear ear or eye protection and do not preach a lot of discipline from shooters. Finger off the trigger is not something I heard once.
Rule #1 Never live in a Muslim area.
As a christian man who grew up in Mindanao area, having relationship with a muslim woman is a death sentence.
Exactly. Then to go rub it in their faces by setting up a residence on their doorstep. The only thing that might have saved him is if he was a convert to islam, but in that case, one usually is given, or adopts an Islamic name. Eastman sounds Jewish to me. It would be almost sadly funny if he was a Jew, in which case he might be a gold medal Darwin Award winner. I was telling that other Klatt indiot Jew up in Siargao Island he was F'g nuts to be living where he was and then blogging his activities, wherabouts or just existence. His latest vids are blatantly zionist too and supportive of Israels Oct 7 Gaza genocide. Darwin award winners all around..You start straying west of the Buda Highway and the political temperature starts rising. Lets not speculate whether his family was involved. I doubt it as he was somewhat of a gravy train, now or potential, for the family.
True
Yikes. Is that because of stricter Islamic laws? Curious to know more.
@@istrumguitars How many muslims get killed or ripped off by westerners every day ? It's in the Millions yearly. They are having their children mudered by Israel in Gaza, Syria, Lebanon right now as we speak and who is helping Israel with the weapons and military backing ? And who stole whose land ? Go look at a map of Israel and Palestine for the last 100 years and tell me Palestine is the problem. They are not and Muslims know they are being screwed by the west, so when a Muslim sister marries a westerner .....
What if the man converted, did his prayers and vlogger of it, would the muslums accept him ?
I have been living in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, since 2001. That year, I moved here there was a huge attack on a nearby resort by the Abu Shayaff who was from the area that Elliot was in. Many people were killed including 2 Americans. In the weeks following we learned that the terrorists had logistical support from the southern part of Palawan Island. Soon many foreign governments warned their nationals from traveling to southern Palawan. I figured our governments knew more about the situation than I did and complied. Then a high-school friend came to visit me. He took the position that the US government was BS. He traveled to the south part of the island and returned with no problem. Soon afterwards, a German couple decided to do the same thing and were beheaded. And later a Dutch couple went south and were kidnapped. They were able to escape.
My point is... if there is a warning to not travel to an area, then there is a reason. A few may disregard and return safe, but that doesn't guarantee you will. The warnings are there for a reason.
That’s the Dos Palmas kidnappings. The final confrontation by the security forces is interesting. The kidnappers were cornered. But they escaped by paying off the security forces. Unbelievable? Read up about it
I was just reading about that. Crime is ever where I guess you have to keep you secrets and personal to yourself. I know this from living in Mexico.
No shit
He married a Muslim woman and stayed in a Muslim area while I'm assuming not converting to Islam. He probably didn't do that solely for TH-cam but he did mention routinely that he was the only Westerner living in that area as a way of marketing his channel. TH-cam money has people doing some incredibly stupid things all over the world. Walking around Jamaican and Haitian ghettos, walking around Manila slums, touring bombed out Marawi, etc. Hope he turns up but it's not looking good. He either died and there is nothing to ask for releasing him or they had other plans for him. But no ransom demand is a very bad sign.
I'm Dutch and Dutch governmental travel advice to Mindanou has a map with a huge red area on it. Basically the island is split in half. I'm in Mindanou now and if i travel to the red zone there will be zero help from the Dutch embassy/government. Athough i'm an aspriring youtuber it's safe to say i will not go there. Being able to visit 90% of the Phils is enough for me and im not risking my life to score some internetpoints.
Unfortunately, he's so naive. Did not know how dangerous the place is. Plus the fact that he already got hold of information that some people are trying to get him kidnapped. He should have packed his things, bring his wife with him (or not), then leave and never ever return the moment he got that info! I am a Filipino, but I would NEVER EVER want to be in the neighborhood he was in, I don't care if my wife lives there, but the place he was in and how he conducted himself was just too dangerous! If he survives, he should pack up and leave the place, with or without his wife!
Did someone warn him? If so, he really didnt understand, exactly how dangerous it was for him to be there.
@@ronnie5329bro its well known anywhere in the Mindanao carries risk of being kidnapped. Idk why these foreigners think its a good idea to settle there. Only place thats known to be safe is Davao city.
@richtertan5824
i was watching his channel yesterday... the video that he post, do things in the wrong way and his manners doing things was a little bit weird. When you watch his videos you can notice quickly and notice some reaction of her sometimes.
@@ronnie5329 Everybody knows its dangerous there bro. He knew where he was, he just thought nothing would happen for some reason. Allot of expats think they are untouchable until they get touched.
He spoke about the dangers of being kidnapped.
Was he naive then?
Sometimes it's hard to walk aware.
He was acting as a loan shark in a dangerous part of the world, then posting the details to everyone. Talk about looking for trouble.
Never never never mention money; how much you have/ or spent on something in an open forum. It doesn't matter where you are, or where you live you never mention financial. You just set yourself up for this kind of thing.
Look as common as you can.
Big time. Even my first week in Calabria at my small home I bought,, there was a knock on the door. It was "the local contractor" who read me a list of repairs "he felt I needed done at the home". Local mafia. I had him do a few unsolicited jobs for me then my brother in law got him off my back luckely.
True. Even if you try to go to the opposite direction and tell them you're poor and on disability, if you're an American they will not believe you. Better to keep yer lip zipped!
@@acornsucks2111years ago, on my first visit here,(yes, it was to meet a girl 🤗) a friend told me to bring a set of poor clothes with me if I wanted to venture out from the resort or hotel I was staying at, in downtown Manila and wear them and carry a rolled up newspaper in my back pocket to avoid looking like a tourist.. looking like an old ex-pat local rather than a tourist.. even now, my wife wants me to dress like I have money, I have heard that to a Filipina they are judged by the man that they marry, apparently status is important to them, but when I go out for my morning walk I still try to look as incognito as I can wearing a sweatshirt or tank top and sweats tho she gets mad 😂😂
Envy is really a huge problem. Especially for money
Thanks for sharing Tim. This is a good wakeup call for me as I'm very much a risk taker. I definitely wouldn't have done what Elliot did, but perhaps it's time to re-think some of the things I do in my own life. Hope Elliot is released soon.
I scanned through some of his TH-cam videos yesterday. In two minutes I could see that he was not that bright. He seemed socially unaware and immature. I understand he is 26 but some people do not have the ability to know what they should and should not talk about in the moment. He put himself in this situation. There is nothing that anyone can do. Maybe he should not have been there but it was his choice, and he had a passport and plane ticket to go there.
A lot of people have done a lot by 26. At that age I had a degree, a wife and a platoon in Iraq. Not earth shattering, but many people can do a lot by that age.
@@TimKyoutube I wasn't degrading 26-year-olds. He defiantly lacked common sense.
@bruce0767 or he could just be a thrill and adventure seeking type of person.
Thanks so much for doing this video Tim. This is something we all hate to think about. But in some areas security needs to be taken Very seriously. Praying for his safe return!
Nice sentiment x
Loansharking to poor people is a sign of complete moral depravity.
Indians have been doing this in most part of the phillipines for years
If you watch his channel he was (hopefully still is) kind of an odd guy. Didn't seem that bright.
@@RJT80 I looked at his channel...very odd.
Sorry where is the loansharking allegation coming from ?
@@SmeeUncleJoe his videos
Well he wouldn't know would he? I put myself in his position, lending money, i'm much older than Elliot, yet when my wife and i arrived in Cebu, Christmas 2007/2008 we decided to lend money to neighbours etc. We were the popular ones in the neighbourhood initially until we found our creditors reneged on their payments. We were losing our hard earned savings, which we could not afford to do, so we stopped lending. We then became unpopular and the nasty stuff came out. Too much to list here. We still have our home there on Cebu, but now we have learned not to be too close to the locals if you don't want trouble. We are still owed money from then. It was a learning experience for both of us.
You paid the dummy tax. Lol. It happens.
If I were you, I would just write the money off as a loss and lesson learned. Don't try to get it back. Desperate people do desperate things.
Visayans are crooks. They don't pay back loans.
Yes, as long as they owe you money they will need to scapegoat you as the bad person. There is a reason most of the world remains in poverty, because the people who have any power are keeping everyone else down. Not rocket science.
"can i borrow" in the philippines, "can i have and don't ever expect to see this money again". That's just the way it is if you're a kano, or if you're a filipina/o who has gone abroad and is 'rich'.
What struck me the most, besides his naivety is how he behaves. This is a very dangerous area, strictly Muslim. You can't go around wherever you go half naked, while his wife is covered from head to toe.
Well, he is living down with the Morros and they don't even like other Filipinos
You are absolutely correct. I know many non- Muslim Filipinos who have fled that area to places in the Philippines that are safer.
Exactly
@@generoush3823 I think Moros are Muslims who doesn’t like people of other religions living amongst them. They will behead you. I heard some would drink alcohol and smoke which are ban by the Muslim religion.
They are separatist and terrorist, funded by Malaysia(hamas supporter) they don't even consider themselves Filipinos.
There is no reason to live in the deep south of the Philippines. There are so many beautiful, safe places in the Philippines to live.
The deep south-west. The eastern part is safe to travel
@@ikealamp53 Yes Sorry, South-West
I always considered Zamboanga as the deep south.
You have a lot of compassion and understanding. Your very mature. We need more foreigners like you.
IKR! Such a breath if air for understanding!
I think that he is toast..
It will most likely come out that his wifes family is linked to this ordeal..
Marrying a Filipino Muslim was his first real mistake.
The complications and Drama from that put him in the kettle and soon they put the wood sticks underneath and lit the fire 🔥.
It was about money and the rancid diseases of greed and saving face occurred.
He has a touch of narcissism and low awareness which blocked his judgment of the severity of the situation.
Regular Filipinos are not tolerated very well by the filipino muslim community.
Him being a westerner was even worse.
A word of caution for westerners who chose to live in the Philippines.
And i mean any place.... never talk about money. Don't lend it or borrow it.
Don't give money for Charity.
If you do.. you must do it in secrecy.
Never let others control your money.
Stay level headed. Low key and friendly to everyone...
Stay out of squabbles.
The thin skin of average Filipinos is a risk factor..
Mind your own business and enjoy what you can while living there.
Peace out.....
Racist spotted...
What you mean is thin skinned Filipinos leads to you being on thin ice ? they are easily offended and easily take things personal ? are they also envious ?
Dude. If you’re white. You have more money than 99.9% of Filipinos 😂
Yeah hard to keep under wraps.
very good advice. I try to blend in to my surroundings here. smile at everyone, engage in banter if someone makes the first move, dress conservative, (no jewelry, fancy watch, ) generally I won’t wander too far away from our house at night, although most of the barangay people here have seen me, it’s a fairly newer phase of housing, most residents seem to be better off financially than the average Filipino, a lot have cars, I still like to keep a low profile..
I'm Filipino, and you're right that there's a barrier between regular Filipinos and Muslim Filipinos. I myself don't personally know any Muslim, and I'm also indifferent towards them. Those that live around us have a bad reputation. I've heard stories of people getting beat up by those guys. They have a solid community. If you have a fight with one, their whole community goes after you. I also have zero interest in going to the islamic areas of southern Philippines. Those places actually have never been really conquerd by the Spaniards.
Unfortunately we will never see him again. Ive been all over the Philippines but one area I went to to get my filipina girlfriends ten year old son from his fathers mothers house was in the Sultan Kudarat area of Mindanao I didnt like the vibe at all. We left Cebu and flew in General Santos airport and took a bus from there and then a trike for forty-five minutes. The farther we got from the airport and two hours into the bus ride to the middle of nowhere peoples attitudes changed towards me the 6'4" wite guy. We went and picked up her son and the father of her sons sister gave us a ride back to the nearest town with a hotel which was 45 minutes from the house and of course she charged me 2000 pesos! White man tax! Little did she know I would have paid 5000php to get out of the village they lived in after I saw at least three guys with rifles. We were supposed to stay two days in the town to wait for his father to come back to where ever he was because he wanted some type of compensation for taking care of his own son. The next morning I paid one of the hotel staff 5000 php to drive us the two hours to the airport and we took the first flight out even though it was going to Taclobon and not Cebu. It was ok though we spent two nights at the XYZ hotel and spoiled her son. Nedless to say I have never felt so uneasy in anyplace before like there and Ive been allover China and South America to rural areas and felt safer. Ill pray for that kid but its not good especially because they already shot him.
Man, you look alot like a guy that was trying to fly back to his wife in 2020 from SanFrancisco but didn't have the proper paperwork and I was trying to help him or you possibly.
@airwess3369 It wasn't me. I came back from China at the end of 2019 and didn't leave the country again until 2023. Also, I've never been married.
😅@@airwess3369
@@blivit195cm3 Redlining in the red zone.
Good call. Anyone who wants money for looking after their own children are not normal filipinos who love their famillies, like anyo other normal person, is not someone you want to have anyhting to do with. Probably a drug addict or thug of some sort. There are few low lifes in the PH but they are there and should be avoided at all costs.
This is just really sad, Tim. I think you did a fine job explaining this as sensitively as you could have. I'm just two weeks away now, from arriving to my Tiny House in Guimaras and I've often been warned of the dangers of being a foreigner wondering around alone in on my motorbike. I have only been mugged once, back in 1993 while on the outskirts of Manila. But, being kidnapped at my age of 63, well it's a scary thought, for sure.
The Philippines is, by in large, a very safe place to be. But, being the guy that sticks out like a sore thumb, one has to be careful. I agree, that he made some mistakes by publishing his video ( or perhaps talking to the locals ) about his 5/6 business or the expense of his new addition. Though, I don't blame him for the lack of experience he has
Here at home, I have a Concealed Carry Permit, but in the Philippines, I have no real means of self defense, nor do their laws allow me to use deadly force for my defense. You stay safe yourself, Tim.
Living in areas where terrorists are active is never best idea even if someone try to be discreet about it (sooner or later many people will know where you live not matter what ). Mugging is another thing - from I heard Philippines are quite safe but there are at least two cities where muggings happen (mostly at nights rather ) - Manila (capitals are generally more dangerous, especially their bad neighborhoods ) and Angeles (freelance ). But even in safe cities and even in safest countries it's good to be aware of your surrounding and do nothing stupid what enhances risk. For defense you don't need lethal force - good pepper spray will close eyes of attackers for enough time that you can leave. In Philippines it is legal. Also I opt to not carry too much money and expensive things (in situation where you clearly see that your defense may not be successful especially when someone pull gun at you - then better just throw belongings at ground than eat bullets... ) to not regret too much if I would lost it.
I'm looking into getting a house in Guimaras. How is it over there?
@@morenomt27 I don't know statistics but I read that is safe. It is prone to typhoons, particularly from June to November but in Philippines some natural disasters happen from time to time in most locations so it isn't really a con. But only hospital is in Jordan and besides some medical center nearby, there is nothing more on entire island (at least according to google maps ). And probably this hospital isn't for everything so rather transport to Iloilo would be needed in more serious cases. How island looks, some youtubers covered: th-cam.com/users/results?search_query=Guimaras
@@rokuzzoone5495 Thanks for your comment
@@morenomt27 It's really nice here. Just a short boat ride from the City, but still very quiet here. Though, it seems that even with the RORO being the only way to get cars across, the cars are much newer models lately, than years ago. It used to be nothing but used Jeepneys.
Excellent video, Tim. And presented with so much compassion. Thank you for all of your sincere kindness towards the Philippines, and towards its people and its Expats.
Thank you my friend. Never know how it comes off. I appreciate it.
@@TimKyoutubeYOU COULDNT WAIT LONGWR THAN A DAY TO COMMENT ON THIS?? IF YOU ARE NOT TRYING TO HELP HIS FAMILY LOCATE & SAVE HIM...THEN WHY YOU POSTING A DAY AFTER HE IS KIDNAPPED?????
@@WhatevaHawaii i don't see how this harms Eastman any further than he has been.. in fact featuring his situation is helpful to publicise it further so that government, private sector and the people who may hear of it including those in the concerned areas may be moved to help to the extent that they can
Loaning money ANYWHERE is insanity....let alone in the Philippines. “Neither a borrower nor a lender be”
If you loan money.. you are gifting money. When a girl asks me for a loan... I decide if I gift them, or don't give them anything at all.
Especially when charging interest goes directly against the Qur'an.
From the article!
“Eastman came to the Philippines to marry a woman from Zamboanga City, who later turned out to be a scammer”
Sounds like Mr Eastman was loan sharking.
@@mikek8816 He’s living in a shack in the middle of ISIL Abu Sayyaf home turf…dude couldn’t have been living on more than $600 USD a month. Let’s be careful how we describe what he was doing, piss poor idea but … he was and is broke compared to people in the US.
24 - 26 years old is considered a GROWN Man! Worldwide. No excuses
I am a Filipino myself but I would never ever visit that Southern part of the Philippines🇵🇭. I just don't know what would happen to me especially that it's kind of isolated. I just hope that he's okay. Pray🙏🙏🙏🙇🙇🙇🙌🙌🙌
I mean a lot foreigner kidnapping case in that Mindanao area , remember abu sayaff
Are u serious?? I was in Davao for a month, so safe
Loslos@@OptionSpreadProfits
@@OptionSpreadProfitsDavao is Safe just don’t go to the South part of Mindanao, Like Sulu Tawi Tawi or Zamboanga… The locals were Warn you not to go All this kind of places …… Most Filipinos don’t go to this kind of places unless u from there ..
@@piacash5216including maguindanao,and cotabato
Tim, your empathy is showing. Good video and thanks for the share. After visiting for months at a time, I will be landing in Tacloban for the final move this Friday to join my wife on Samar. Although I also enjoy the sarcastic side of you, you wear this empathy well. Keep up the good work and all life’s best to you, Chrissy and little Dale.
Welcome to the philippines. thanks for the kind comment. hard to do a topic like this and be realistic but not darken the door of an unfortunate situation.
@@TimKyoutube the people in those places in Mindanao grew up with a certain culture and mindset and there has been continuous heavy armed conflict there over many generations. The past presidents and local leaders have done some good work but also coupled with the bad like corruption, embezzlement of public funds, drug trafficking, enabling bad armed factions and bad political families who enable bad armed people etc. Though former pres. Duterte in a 'short' 6 years was really able to have positive effect.. but whilst hopefully, God willing, positive change continues ( though that's hard with the current weak and corrupt president ) still the generation of people who grew up "living by the gun" may have to pass away or grow to their grey hairs and doddering with a cane 😅 before it can be that a 'foreigner' may possibly live there with some relative expectation of peace? Meanwhile, unless he is on a mission direct from God Himself, it just has to be accepted that it is very foolish for a 'foreigner' to live there when even Filipinos would think twice about just visiting and on the second thought they'd prolly change their mind 😂😂
I’m glad see your wisdom shining through this FUBAR. Back in 1982 I was stationed at NAS Cubi Point. I took a road trip and was stopped by Philippines 🇵🇭 Army and asked were I way going and warned me that this was an area controlled by the NPA. I’m like wtf so I respectfully thanked them shook their hands and left. I was stationed at CP for over 4 years and one thing I learned was you have to change to the Filipino way not the other way around. I meet so many Filipino’s that would take their shit off there back to help and America service man. Respect there way of life and you will see that they will respect you. God bless Tim and family
Then you would remember that Marine GunnySgt that was assasinated on Magsaysay by the NPA😮 RIP Gunny
@@DaleTimms They would certainly not respect you in Muslim areas
I lived in the Philippines for over 2 years and my GF was from Zamboanga. The chances of me visiting Zamboanga was ZERO. Farthest South I ever lived was Cagayan De Oro.
Zamboanga City is not bad but dont travel to far outside of it
Them Zamboangenãs are the best gf's...best kept secret
So you wouldn't travel to or live in Davao City ?
@jlynnburton9718 Yes I would travel to Davao, in the city.
Give me a break, I've been to Davao, general l santos for months, no issues AT ALL
Been here 31 years, i can tell you no matter how modern or civilised a place looks in the Philippines, the people are still tribal. For your longevity its critical that you keep a low profile and becareful of your wifes family if you truly have any sort of wealth.
I lived in parts of East Asia for 33 years and like you, I kept in mind the realization that East Asians are generally very tribal, so I would never be completely accepted and therefore should always remember that I was a guest and an outsider. The key expression that you used, and that I lived by, was "low profile". As a former infantryman, I avoided ambushes by staying quiet and keeping off the ridgeline in my dealings with people. I was quiet, modest, calm, pleasant, frugal and tried not to be conspicuous. As a result of all the above, I did very well financially, the local people always liked me and I never had any major problems.
Im American my wife is Chavacano from Zamboanga City. The area where this young man lives is not a place a foreigner should live. The people are generally good, but you are still a foreign person. The muslim areas are not safe as these are clans. The clan sees you as an outsider. The muslim clans are very radical. Zamboanga City has a muslim population also. My wife and I dont live in Zamboanga because my safety is at risk. The Chavacano people are great, but the Muslim population eyeballs me to no end. Its a very different feeling than any muslim area in the U.S. The muslims here blame the outside world for the internal issues they have. This makes them see your life as cheap. I can tell you I have been in this region and traveled through the areas as far as Dapitan and beyond. Many spots are great, and many are dangerous. Just make good decisions on traveling folks.
I totally agree with you I am from Zamboanga City but some foreigners are not afraid to visit some dangerous place,even though I told them or mentioned them in a dangerous place.
I do hope for the best, sending prayers 🙏
Hope this dude gets out okay. I was in Mindanao last year with the family and all was well. Not once did I feel I was in danger or for my family; however, I did stay up north and with locals that were from there. Praying for this dude gets freed and looks at this as a life learned lesson.
Mindoro is a safe Place same as Palawan
He's dead
I’m a Filipina, grew up in Philippines, I myself is scared of going in Zamboanga.
Great video Tim!!!! Sending prayers for Elliot!!!!
When anyone asks my opinion about living or traveling in red zones here, I always have the same response: F-around and find out. 💯
If he had asked the locals, the Filipinos who have no interest, nothing to gain by where he lives or where he stays.. they would've told him: Don't.
But i think some may have already told him and he just didn't listen
Anyone engaging in the 5-6 other other lending shcemes in the PH is putting themselves in danger. As a foreigner living in a dangerous area doing this and advertising his wealth online is unbelievably foolish at best.
the guy makes every mistake you can make in the book , in the wrong part of town , what an idiot
You have to be a bit odd to end up living in the Philippines at 26 from the States.
@@jdan35agreed..he's too young
Don't worry.
The Philippines is paradise.
He'll be fine.
When one mentions the realities of the place, they say you're being negative and to go back where you come from which in and of itself is extremely ignorant!!!
@@VENEMPASTOR it’s more fun in the Philippines
@@jdan35
Yeah!
He's having a lot of fun right about now!
It sure is more fun in the Philippines.😂
And,
so are the innumerable of foreigners miserably stuck in bad situations with their pinays and their families not to mention those who are married, who get to buy businesses, buy land, build homes, lend money, etc... etc...
There's more simping fun in the Philippines!!!
💯
Good talk, good advice, tips from Tim! Good luck all the best. Rudi.
That guy was an idiot. Everyone knows it's not safe in the south of the Philippines. His neighbors even warned him yet he still remained. His ignorance cost him his life.
I watched a lot of Elliot Eastman video this is my opinion he did not like it there he said he didn’t feel safe. He had arguments with some local people, probably over lending money been a loan shark. He was talking about leaving that area, I think either he’s wife told the kidnappers that he is going to leave that village very soon, or the local people who he had arguments and fell out of favour with did. So the kidnappers had to move fast and kidnap him before he left the village. Soon as he felt that he did not feel safe their and was scared for he’s safety and own well being he should have left immediately that is your gut feeling telling you something is not right. Your gut feeling is like a 2nd brain and he should have acted and listened to it.
Looking at his immaturity, do you think he would leave the area after lending those people that amount of money? Leaving the area would only be good for the people who got the money as they would no longer feel the urge to pay him back after he leaves. I doubt he would leave, even if he felt unsafe. I'm sure he would not consider that money as a loss (and possible safe his life). Be greedy and not able to take a loss, can cost you your life.
I think those kidnappers only saw what amount he lend to others as well what he has been spending. He was just a good catch ...
Mentioning big money online= Death sentence in a poor country
Good video Tim, I've been one of your followers since you started your TH-cam channel.
Tim thanks for sharing this video. It’s really danger out there.
Zamboanga City is a safe place with many rich businessmen and big shopping malls and condominiums. What makes Zamboanga City looks bad is because of its name , many people thinks Zamboanga del Norte is the same place as Zamboanga city.
Complacency kills....I feel bad for the young man and his family. Gunshot wound not treated will get infected; not a good thing, I lived in Dau for about 8 months; kept my head on a swivel. Prayers for him and his family. Thank you for sharing, even though sad.
Even worse if that was really M16 rifle - such wounds are really bad and without professional help he could bleed out. Dau where is that?
@@rokuzzoone5495- It's a place located at Mabalacat, Pampanga in the Philippines.
DAU is 2 Hrs North of Manila … or is it 1and a half … ???
Interesting. Can you relate why Dau and that area is dangerous?
@@Viajero69 DAU is Not Dangerous is a little Town in pampanga …. Mindanao Southern Tip is Dangerous Either for Filipinos or Foreigners…
Also living in The Philippines, from what I’ve observed the people that have problems like this are due to their inability to integrate properly, be friendly with everyone, keep your negative thoughts to yourself, don’t show off and don’t make enemies, you should be ok
So very true. Im a church member here in General Santos, with my wife, and have integrated quite well. I attend services every Sunday and go to events organised by the church. People are happy to greet me and chat with me when they see me. I also do some volunteer work. I feel safe and part of the community.
However, there is another (white)foreigner who is a Buddhist, who is also married to a Filipina and attends the same church. He arrives an hour late, speaks to no-one, attends no events and during services, he mumbles his chants. He comes across as so arrogant and disrespectful. He fails to do everything you mentioned in your original comment and as a result, he is an unpopular person in the church community.
God bless.
The lesson here is no matter where you are around the world, dont lend money to people.very dangerous.
and usury is forbidden...so this is one of the worst businesses you can be a part of, even if the area was safe
Your outlook is very keen. Very insightful.
I'm a Filipino (in my late 70s). Our culture is politicking. We are divided not by race, not by religion, not by regions, BUT BY POLITICS! Mindanao island is under about 10 warlords (Duterte, Go, muslim factions, MNLF, NPA, etc.). That is how we were governed in olden times. The Visayas were ruled by Datus, and LapuLapu was the Datu warrior who killed Magellan when Magellan landed in Cebu. That is why EXPATS are forbidden to talk Philippine politics, lest they may be branded negative when meeting opposing political groups. If you've been following the Senate Investigations of Duterte, you could see for yourself Duterte's demeanor, warlord mentality. Well, it seems like the entire PNP (Philippine National Police) is implicated in murders, drugs, killings, kidnappings, etc, as one general admitted. Warlord mentality. We just got our Independence in 1946 (my birth year) and instructed by the Americans how to continue running the country and copy the Constitution of the U.S. We are still learning the Democratic way. The North being controlled by Marcos, while the Visayas by oiligarchs, and Mindanao by the Duterte, Go, etc). The kidnapped EXPAT probably bulldozed his way with horns blaring and caught the attention of the underworld.
Very helpful comment, thank you for teaching us Americans.
as a Swedish person i can see that the swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has warnings to travel to almost whole island of Mindanao as they dont think its safe.
He posted about loaning up to 35,000 PHP and making profit with local business guy. Not bright at all!
My dad pretty much stopped giving me unsolicited advice on my 23rd birthday. But in this case, even at 26 a family member with better judgement should have stepped in.
Sad situation, but this is an extremely well articulated and unexplained video. One of your best.
this is an eye opener! Thanks Tim
You nailed it. Very unwise. I live in Taguig Philippines part time. Expats everywhere here and over by Subic Bay the other part. I was always told to stay away from the southern provinces
great analaysis and really appreciate your kind, wise approach. creators like you are invaluable in this age of anything for views/engagement.
I know of more than one Expat who has recently expressed an interest in Western Mindanao and Sulu / Jolo. Kummander actually did a trip…pretty irresponsible in my mind, as it places the location in peoples mind. Guys this should be an absolute no go zone. Abu Sayyaf, ISIL and Moro Islamic Liberation Forces are in this area. They were kinda defeated by the PAF…guys they weren’t killed or driven out, they assimilated into the community… Why? Because a lot of the fighters are locals…fishermen are pirates and vise versa… this isn’t something to be played with. PAF PNP SAF and US Special Operations forces will need to be involved.
It’s very clear Eliot had no clue about the conflict in this region, or seriously underestimated the current threat level.
before kumander daot went there, there were already many foreigners who went there even kyle of becoming filipino. They thought it was safe because they have been going in there many times and nothing happened to them. I think you are safe if you know many locals, they can protect you. But if you are alone, yeah you need to be afraid. Even me, I'm Filipino, there are many terrorist bombings there in the past, am still afraid to go there until now. Its hard to risk it. Also there are lots of foreigners getting into the the dangerous area of Tondo in Manila. That's another thing we could wait in the news.
Becoming Filipino had a PNP and Army escort in that trip. They went with heavy security.
even Filipinos from Manila are advised to visit the tourism office and be given military escort when traveling around that part of Mindanao
The kidnappers are celebrating now they listening 👂 Kabir na manok and Selos music 🎶 the number one ☝️ moros music 🎵😁
i would say you are more knowledgeable about that topic than some of the filipinos too
I’ve been here on and off for over 20 years. I’ve made a ton of mistakes. I sailed here 2004 on my 40 foot yacht, I’ve sailed sulu sea and South China Sea. I honestly cannot believe I’m still alive. I have angered powerful people here due to my drunken arrogance. I sailed with my wife, local lady, from Coron to Singapore via Borneo. I literally had a target on my back. Everyone knew my reputation for being an angry drunk. I never actually hit anyone but my words and size spoke volumes. I have been in the southern territories of south Palawan. I have yet to travel to mindanao. I still can’t believe I’m alive. This poor kid is going to grow up quickly or perish. I pray that he makes it.
"God protects children and the drunks so that they can get back home" ..old Irish proverb
Hi, Tim. New subscriber here.
I thought I'd post something here because of all the comments slamming Zamboanga. I spend a little time in Zamboanga City every year. I'm an American Muslim and my wife is Tausug. In general, I've always felt far safer there than I did when visiting Manila.
Kidnapping is an issue in the US as well, but it's not used to stigmatize a community.
Interest loans attract unsavory elements in every country so I wouldn't be surprised if the kidnapping was done by a local gang.
If any other vloggers are reading this comment, having situational awareness and knowing the local customs is a must.
He’s an IRL streamer soliciting donations. Communicating a persistent sense of danger is how he makes his bread.
*_This guy is 100% accountable and complacent in his kidnapping! I’m not directly trying to victim blame him, of course! But he Absolutely is at fault for not taking his own safety seriously! To call him immature is an understatement! He’s immature even for his age of twenty six years old! He’s as naive as an adolescent child! He treated the topic of kidnapping like it was a plot point in an action movie or something! He then portrayed himself to the people around him like he has access to liquid, movable income very easily!_*
😒
Thank you Tim for being transparent and sending this sobering message out to the world. Unfortunately, this young man DID NOT know what he was doing, and the world is witnessing the consequences of making major decisions without thorough planning and advice. 🙏
Good coverage Tim hope he gets let free long time since I saw you here👍
So he went to the Philippines to become a low rent loan shark?
Can't imagine why anyone would target him...
You spent over $2000 U.S. on solar and a business in an area where there are no-one, other than muslims? You are insane! By spending that much money; your looking for trouble! I would have taken my wife out of the area.
Tim, really good video and thank you fo covering this and analyzing it for us. I am really glad you were ok from all the close calls. Sir thank you for heing a hero. I feel bad for this man that went somewhere so far away.
As a Filipino, my advice is just to not go to the southern islands of the Philippines. Don't be naive!
Great Post Tim,your analyzation of things in an expat perspective is on point👏
I do hope and pray this ends in a happy one,my prayers for you Elliott🙏🙏🙏
I am praying for you Elliot🙏
I lived in Surigao for a while with my fiance (now ex). Two things. One time we took a road trip down to Davao region to visit relatives. Once we arrived my ex focused on her family I went for a walk. She finally noticed I was gone and called me and asked where I was. When I told her, she said I can't do that because there was Abu Sayeff around that area. Ah, well that's nice to know NOW!. Later we rented a van to travel around and visit family. I'm prior military and routinely wear my 8-point hat and military themed clothes. As we were driving you normally see a church every 100 yards or so, I didn't see any but I saw girls riding on the back of trikes wearing hijabs and I started noticing mosques all over the place, ( i took my hat off at that point ). We stopped at the main market and I refused to get out. I told my ex where the hell are you taking me? She mocked me and I was pissed. Later when at her families house I refused to get out of the van for a while since I was still pissed. Later I finally spent time with friends and relatives in the back doing the usual getting drunk while I stayed vigilant. Earlier, my ex had said these men would protect me, and I sat and looked at them later passed out drunk. I knew anyone who came would wait for the alcoholic festivities to take their effects and then come for their prize. We were in the Sultan Kurdat and Cortabato area as well. I couldn't wait to get the hell out of there.
Next adventure, we'd often go for extended road trips to explore. I've been around Filipinos and the Philippines for decades and the most common barometer is the 'hey joe' barometer. Nearly all the kids and many adults will yell out to you when they see you. Well we were heading towards San Francisco in Mindanao and I started to notice none of the kids were saying 'hey joe'. My ex called me paranoid. Further down the trip, we came to a washed out bridge with a group of filipino guys 'assisting' others traverse the river to get across. I almost relinquished our scooter to them but i saw a guy come the opposite direction and he navigated the river so I did the same. My ex was worried they were going to rob us. Further down the road I started to see signs tacked up on the trees, about the NVA, CCP. In all my time and travels in the Philippines I had never seen that before and I was telling my ex. As we came upon a barrangay she saw a sign that explicitly told those entering the barrangay that NPA was not welcome. My ex said 'see, the NPA isn't here'. I"m like ok, they're not welcome in town so that obviously means they are in the jungle nearby. Da! The geography was ocean on the west and a huge inland lake on the east so there was only 2 ways to go North and South. So anyone looking to cut us off would know exactly which way were were heading. My little voice was screaming its head off and I made a command decision and told her we were turning around and going back to Surigao. She was livid because that meant we had to go past those guys again. I told her to lift up her feet if she didn't want to get wet because i wasn't slowing down. Once past the guys she showed her hostility to me by not holding on to me for the rest of the trip back to Surigao. A few days later I spoke with a PNP friend I had and told him what had happened, and he said "you made the right call, a few days prior to that the NPA and the Army had a big battle near San Francisco."
Always trust your guts
@Pj-mj7wi I lived in Butuan for almost 2 years. I had many Muslim friends they were kind and soft spoken family men. The reason I found out they were Muslim is they always asked if dishes that were served contained pork. Later when meeting their families the punjab made it obvious. But these guys were businessman living in the city.
Dude, I grew up around LA Calif. Been in and around many a "black" hoods in my day, LBC, Watts, Compton, NS of Vegas, and NEVER was bothered by anyone. Because, I minded my business, got done what I was there for, and left. I grew up in Hispanic dominated hood's all thru high school etc, same thing, never bothered by the gangsta's lol......But I was more street smart than evidently this poor guy is, and have NO inclination to EVER visit Mindinao period! Almost went to Zambaonga City to meet a filipina, but turns out she was legally married just separated 2+ years, NO THANKS!......
Not because I would be scared of the area, but WHY even bother?? Am happily living in the mountain province with my filipina and her 2 kids, in our house I built. Far enough from the big city, but an hours drive when needed to go there. Besides, I wouldn't be a good target to K'nap, too old and no relatives with money hahaha.....Hope all turns out good for Elliot, and he maybe learns a valuable lesson from his naive thinking......
How was your home visit to Huntington Beach bruh, used to go there a LOT as a teen, surfin' the coast
his youtube shorts are even weirder. i went down the rabbithole and watched them all.
Interesting intel. Didn't look there.
haha, I watched liek 5 and was DONE!
On September 27th he uploaded a short titled "goodbye forever"
i don't even want to type this but he has several 'b0mb' short videos
I binge watched them all. He was not bright, and not just for living there. He was loaning pretty large sums of money out for profit, acted foolish and walked around without a shirt, and seemed drunk at times. He recently talked about how he wanted to leave and told his wife she should get her documents so they could move. I wouldn't want my daughter stuck living far away with an idiot either, but idk if that is what happened. Could be someone he was loaning money to, or just pissed off locals who didn't appreciate a foreigner walking around shirtless in a conservative region.
What I find interesting is that early reports were that the police gave chase but lost him. How exactly did the police know about this and how were they in place to chase them?
Good point.
This guy would probably suffer the same fate even in the US. He has no self-preservation skills and no sense of danger.
You’re doing good job by talking about this. You have the voice for other who can’t heard from media. But then the media should be responsible.
Anyone who's marginally familiar with the PI knows the southwestern parts of the PI are still Abu Saif strongholds. I've been to Mindanoa and would never in a million years venture into the western parts of the island or any of the islands south of Zamboanga. I was there prior to covid with my ex-girlfriend who was a Philippine born U.S. Army officer who was born in the Zamboanga area. The military attache office in Manila advised her against traveling to her home village but if she did she was required to report in daily to the Army military attache while on Mindanao. She was also advised to leave her military ID and U.S. passport with me in Davoa before traveling to the province. That's how serious they saw the threat. And there was no way I was going with her to visit her family as I would stick out like a sore thumb. So...anyone who lives...or even travels in that area...is risking their safety.
I definitely feel there is more to this story than meets the eye 🤔🤔
look like he set this up, maybe to get his people to send some money.
Eastman...does this name indicate his possible American/Israbeli double citizenship? If yes, that would not be healthy at all in a dangerous Muslim area, especially with what the US of Israbel is doing in the middle east. Add to that his money lending operation at high interest rates and it's just a matter of time until things go dramatically bad. Just saying.
@@poundtrader1414 Including being shot in the leg? Yeah sure, right .... all scripted ✍👎
Great video again Tim ! Thanks for all your effort to bring relevant content online. Yes this sweet little boy has a ' Death wish' that no one can stop . Wonder if he is a Gen Z .. Praying for his safe release ! God Bless !
Thanks Kuya Sam. Appreciate it.
@@TimKyoutube You bet !
Hey Tim my dear friend, Great video. Wow, while this is so horrifying, it's also sad that Elliott didn't use common sense and good sound judgment. I will pray for Elliott's safe return. May God be with him through this horrific kidnapping. Please stay safe brother 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏.
The local Filipino warned the Expat don't go to Western Mindanao South Philippines but other they still try even the Checkpoint told them that theres Abusayyaf Terrorists living that area they don't believe.
Just found your channel due to this case. Really admire your humility and compassion. Bless you 🙏
Advertising that YOU are the bank!!??????? Might as well wear a shirt saying “ROB ME”…..telling the world (flexing) how much you have to spend ????!!!!!
Let's face it, he did everything wrong.
Dude was 26, more than smart enough to know better
Even when I was 15 I knew better maybe its because we're im from is kinda dangerous learn from early.
I truly believe this is inside job, guaranteed the wife and neighbors have something to do with this, he wanted to leave his wife wouldn't let him
Or this is all made up for the videos. They staged it all, made it look like he was shot, but not really, pig blood..All of this to get views and have a story to tell… idk people have done worse. I don’t believe this is the case, but since we’re speculating….
Please don't spread nonsense. Watch his video "Living in the Philippines most dangerous area as an American" around the 1: 53. Locals warned him that people were planning to kidnap him. He left his location two times because of it. He planned to leave Philippines with wife but he didn't make it.
Nonsense. He said in one live stream that he would like to move, but he didn't have the cash to do anything right now.
You must be outside the Phillipines You could be sued for defamation.
Very good video. I have to rethink some of my own videos where I am talking about the cost of building our house in the Philippines.
Yes as my wife is from Mindinao, I watch a bunch of videos about retiring and building there, the constant talk of money, how much who is paid for what seems a little too much ....I understand that many people want to know but.... being from the USA we will see a 30k house as a great deal, but 30k from a Filipino 's perspective is lotto money. I've seen your videos as well. When we do build, my wife will be dealing with the contractors, I will be like a ghost. Of course, in an area that's not so risky.
Been going to Mindinao since 2008. Best of luck to you all! Just be aware of we are in another country.
You give the best info
He asked his wife in his video if she made the arrangements for him to leave,just before this kidnapping. Went on to rell her he wasnt coming back
He thought he was being cute & sarcastic with the kidnapping comments, knowing subconsciously it is a reality. He was just immature. I feel bad for him and his cat, they loved each other
Remember the two Scandanavian girls who went backpacking to Morocco to show us how we’re all bigots and everyone around the world is as lovely and fluffy as the naive village they came from?
Let’s see…young guy, no solid income, TH-cam channel not doing so hot, his niche on TH-cam is “living in the red zone”, etc…..publicity stunt??? This will definitely get him views and money. Has this been done before? Absolutely!
That's actually very bewildering to me. He knows how seriously dangerous his situation and how frightened he is. Yet, it sounds like he's asking for it to happen.
Pls don't set foot in muslim area in southern mindanao near basilan and sulu,its a no go zone for foreigners,even tho the abu sayaf is near to be eliminated there are still a few there hiding in thr thick forests of sulu
It's insane how islam even corrupts the friendly people of PH.
@@marr737 its a problem here since way back 1990's bcoz of abu sayaf,there are less 50 members of them now down from 1,000 decade ago,our navy,coastguard,soldiers and marines encircled sulu island so the perpetrators will really have a difficulty to land the boat there,im hoping elliot will be safe
those people are not Muslim. They claim to be, but they are nothing but murdering terrorists. True Islam is about peace. True Muslims live peaceful lives and are kind doers of good for the sake of Allah. What these sick people do is truly not Islam. Read the noble Quran and ask Allah for forgiveness. May you always find peace in Allah 🤲🏾🤲🏾🤲🏾🤲🏾🤲🏾🤲🏾
Religion of peace seems to be a problem everywhere it is, exceps in saudi arabia
@@marr737 well just look at mideast and african. There are only 7% Muslims in Philippines, but they that dngrs. How much to countries 50% of them. 😅
Foreign TH-camrs should put out there warning contents for other tourists ..Warning them about the huge risks when you go to wrong places in the Philippines...associating to wrong people, too...
Id be gaslighting if i said the PH is a safe place 😢
Not sure WHY someone who is aware of their situation wouldn't have acted differently. Iived in mexico for 5 years, witnessed the area getting sketchy year over year and moved back to the us. I Moved to Thailand for a couple of years, and I decided it was a better option. Returned to the us and sold/dumped everything and have been in Thailand since. Every country has its dangerous places and people. I avoid both.
Every possible mistake he could make, he made. Documented EVERYTHING about his life, including his actual home. How stupid. Wrong place to setup business.
Great video bro!
Tutorial on how to be a unsuccessful expat.
My wife and I have family in the Philippines, and they had a lending business for a while: lending money & lending rice (yes, that's a thing). If you're going to get into that business, you have to know you can trust the people running it to do what is right. When my wife told me that 20% was standard, I refused and told her that we'd charge no more than 10%, just on ethical grounds. We "debated" it for a while, but did finally land at 10% max. I can't fathom even charging that kind of interest to people already struggling, regardless if it's standard for the culture. For the clients where were faithful all year long, I would cancel their remaining debt at Christmas as a gift. We have other ventures as well, but at the end of the day, everything my wife and I do there is focused on helping and building up the family and people around that area.
Thank you for your channel. We plan on retiring there in the coming years, and look forward to living in the province where we can focus 100% of our time on ministering and building up those around us.
My Mom told me from early childhood “I do not borrow and I do not lend” and it stuck! …..sure I have helped friends or family over the many years but I make it clear I am GIVING this help and they don’t have to pay me back…..and I have only do this Very Infrequently…..I never owned a credit card for most of my life and when I did rarely ever used it….
living in that area is like digging your own grave specially if your are a foreigner,, anything goes if you have a gun
Thanks for explaining in a serious way.
@4:40 or maybe he has been under surveillance/casing/stalking and has underwent a few soft checks by his now captors and has began picking up on the fact with an increased paranoia but without the life experience to know what to do with the red flags other then emote about it.
Hi, Tim. New Subscriber here. Thank you for covering this untimely kidnapping of Elliot E. We continue to pray that he's safe and will return back home the soonest.
Yeah that's crazy but the way he dresses makes him appear rich. As an American living in Mindanao. I never had a problem. Tim you are absolutely right.
Dresses rich? Almost every video I've seen of him he's topless except for the clip in this video where he's wearing a cheap Beatles vest he probably bought from a market for a couple of dollars.
Elliot never had a problem either, until he did. Be safe my friend.
People like you aways piss me off. Just because "you" didn't have a problem doesn't mean there isn't a problem there.
That guy has spoken danger into his own life over time and that dangerous simply manifested, lesson from this is be careful what you say!
Proverbs 21:23 says
Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.
Proverbs 18:21
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Proverbs 17:27-28
The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.
28 Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.
thats scary , not just about danger , but also talk sickness in to them self. I seen people what they afraid of they talk it into their life.
Excellent advice. I'm going to copy that last verse. Thank you.