Filipino detainee may have joined mass jailbreak in quake-hit Sulawesi — DFA

A Filipino prisoner has reportedly joined a mass jailbreak after the detention facility was damaged by the strong quake that rocked Central Sulawesi Friday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

"The DFA is trying to ascertain the condition of a Filipino who was reported to be among hundreds of prisoners who escaped from the Lapas Penitentiary in the aftermath of the 7.4 magnitude earthquake and tsunami," the department said.

In a report to the Home Office in Manila, the Philippine Consulate General in Manado said the Filipino detainee, who was earlier reported to be safe, was later reported to have escaped.

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 he is coordinating with authorities in the area on the whereabouts of the Filipino as power and communications lines there have still not been restored.

As of Monday, the death toll from the quake and tsunami - one of the worst natural disasters to hit Asia in recent years - has climbed to 1,203. — BAP, GMA News