Phivolcs: Don't fall for messages 'predicting' next quakes

Following a magnitude-7.6 that jolted the Eastern Visayas area Friday night, state seismologists reminded the public Saturday not to fall for text messages supposedly predicting the next quake. Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology head Renato Solidum Jr. said that while Phivolcs can warn of possible tsunami, there is no technology to predict a quake. "Wala pang sinumang bansa ang nakaka-predict ng lindol (There is no country at present that can predict an earthquake)," he said in an interview on dzBB radio. He said the most the Phivolcs can do is to alert the public of possible tsunami from a powerful quake. But Solidum also advised the public to instead adopt an attitude of vigilance for any eventuality. "Importante sa natural events ang kahandaan ng tao, na nakasalalay sa sarili (In natural events, it is important that people depend on themselves to be vigilant)," he said. Solidum earlier said more than 100 aftershocks had been detected since the magnitude-7.6 quake hit Friday night. — LBG, GMA News