THE government grounded the passenger fleet of Aleson Shipping Lines on Tuesday as rescuers scoured the ocean for survivors after its ferry, the MV Trisha Kerstin 3, sank off Basilan on Jan. 26, killing at least 28 people.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) also ordered a sweeping maritime safety audit of all domestic vessels following Monday’s sinking.
In a press briefing, DOTr Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez said search and rescue operations were continuing in Basilan a day after the incident, with 10 people — including the ship’s captain — still missing.
Lopez said the vessel had 317 passengers and 27 crew members listed on board, but about 50 ticketed passengers did not proceed with the voyage, explaining discrepancies in earlier counts.
As of the latest briefing, authorities confirmed 28 fatalities, including an infant. Those still being searched for included eight crew members, the ship’s captain, and a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) marshal.
Lopez said he has directed the PCG to intensify search and rescue efforts for the remaining missing passengers and crew, while the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) was instructed to assist families of the victims by prioritizing insurance claims and facilitating other forms of financial assistance from the government and the ship owner.
Lopez said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a comprehensive investigation to determine what happened and to establish responsibility across all parties involved, whether from the government or the private sector.
He said cases would be filed if the investigation found negligence or lapses, stressing that accountability would be enforced without leniency.
Maritime safety, Lopez said, was non-negotiable and could not be subordinated to business considerations. He ordered Marina to immediately begin a complete maritime safety audit of the entire domestic passenger fleet, starting with Aleson Shipping Lines, whose vessels were grounded pending the results of inspections.
Under the directive, Marina and the PCG were given 10 days to conduct a safety audit, risk compliance review, and inspection not only of Aleson Shipping’s vessels but also of their crews. Decisions on whether the ships would be allowed to resume operations would depend on the audit’s findings.
Lopez also questioned Marina’s oversight after it was disclosed that the vessel involved had been issued a maritime safety certificate valid until October 2026.
He said preliminary records showed Aleson Shipping Lines had been involved in at least 32 maritime incidents since 2019, including the fire on board the MV Lady Mary Joy 3 in March 2023, which killed 33 people. Investigators at the time found that a spark from a ceiling lamp in a passenger cabin likely ignited a mattress, causing the fire to spread rapidly.
Lopez said he would issue a department order in the coming days to review and possibly revise existing maritime safety policies, citing concerns over enforcement and manpower limitations.
He added that if Marina lacked personnel, coordination with the PCG and other agencies would be pursued to ensure policies were properly enforced.
The PCG was given 15 days to complete its investigation into the Trisha Kerstin 3 sinking, separate from Marina’s broader policy review.
Addressing reports from survivors that life jackets were either unavailable or defective, Lopez said such claims would be examined as part of the investigation. He said the goal was not only to identify those responsible but also to institutionalize reforms to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Meanwhile, PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan said divers from Manila were being deployed to assist in underwater search operations.
Six technical wreck divers arrived with their equipment, with 10 additional divers expected to follow, bringing the total to 16. He said the PCG would also deploy a remotely operated vehicle to help inspect the submerged vessel and check for possible victims trapped inside.
The ferry departed Zamboanga City at around 9:20 p.m. Sunday night, bound for Jolo, Sulu, before it sank off the waters near Baluk-Baluk Island in Basilan.
The triple-decker vessel sank on nearly the same route where 33 people died in 2023 after a fire aboard the Lady Mary Joy 3 ferry.
The coast guard’s Gavan said that ongoing search-and-rescue efforts remained the immediate priority.
“The most important thing at this point is lives,” he said. A coast guard press aide said the ship was believed to be sitting at a depth of about 76 meters.
An Aleson Shipping Lines employee who answered the phone said the company would release a statement addressing the situation.
Negligent
On Monday, a survivor of the sinking said “no one from the crew alerted us,” describing the panic that gripped passengers as the ship began tilting.
Aquino Sajili said passengers had raced to one side of the ship in a desperate attempt to rebalance it before he heard a “loud snap” that preceded the ship’s rapid sinking.
Those who survived then spent hours bobbing in life jackets or clinging to other flotation devices while awaiting rescue, the 53-year-old lawyer said.
“I think we can gather enough evidence to prove that the crew members of the ship were really negligent,” Sajili said, adding he believed a lawsuit was likely.
The Philippines has a long history of disasters involving the inter-island ferries that ply its seas. Many rely on cheap and poorly regulated boats and ships for transport between the country’s more than 7,000 islands.
A 2015 ferry capsizing off the western coast of Leyte Island resulted in more than 60 deaths.
In 1987, the Dona Paz ferry collided with an oil tanker in a pre-Christmas accident that claimed more than 4,000 lives. It was the world’s worst peacetime disaster at sea.
