MANILA -- The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed that a Filipino in Central Sulawesi in Indonesia was among the prisoners who joined a mass jailbreak during the magnitude 7.5 earthquake and tsunami that hit the region last week.
The Filipino, who was serving his sentence at the Lapas Penitentiary, was initially reported safe by the DFA on Saturday. Citing the Philippine Consulate General in Manado, DFA Assistant Secretary Elmer Cato on Monday night said the Filipino detainee was reported to have joined a mass jailbreak after the prison was damaged by the earthquake.
The Filipino is serving a prison term until 2021 after he was convicted for possession of methamphetamine following his arrest in 2011.
Consul General Oscar Orcine said his office is coordinating with authorities in the area on the whereabouts of the Filipino as power and communications lines there have yet to be restored. (PNA)
