3 Filipino detainees safe after latest Indonesia earthquake

MANILA, Philippines — Three Filipino detainees in Indonesia are safe following the eruption of Mount Gamalama on Thursday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

In a report to the DFA, Consul General Oscar Orcine said two of the Filipinos are serving time for illegal fishing and scheduled to be released from detention in May. The other, who has been in prison since 2014 for illegal transport of cyanide, is awaiting repatriation.

Authorities declared Alert Level II in Ternate and warned the people to stay outside the two-kilometer danger zone around the volcano.

The eruption of Mount Gamalama, which is located 325 kilometers from Manado, occurred a day after Mount Supotan on Sulawesi Island erupted on Wednesday.

The DFA continues to monitor the situation in North Sulawesi.

Earlier, the consulate general said they have contacted the Filipino resident living near Mount Soputan.

The Soputan volcano erupted days after a tsunami struck the island of Sulawesi that left more than 2,000 people dead.