The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Tuesday, Jan. 27, ordered the grounding of the entire passenger fleet of Aleson Shipping Lines, operator of the roll-on/roll-off (RORO) vessel M/V Trisha Kerstin 3, which sank off Basilan, as authorities launched a full-blown investigation into the incident.
Meanwhile, search and rescue (SAR) operations are ongoing for 10 missing individuals — eight crew members, the ship’s captain, and a Philippine Coast Guard marshal.
DOTr Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the directive came from President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and covers all Aleson passenger vessels nationwide pending a maritime safety audit by the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
“I was sent by President Bongbong Marcos to personally convey our condolences to all those who died in the tragedy that happened yesterday,” Lopez said in a press briefing at the Coast Guard Station (CGS) Zamboanga.
He directed Marina to submit a complete maritime safety audit of the entire domestic passenger fleet of Aleson Shipping Lines for inventory.
Marina and the PCG were given 10 days to complete the audit and inspection as the decision on whether Aleson vessels will be allowed to resume operations will depend on the results.
Lopez questioned how safety clearances were issued to the company, noting Aleson’s record.
Based on records, the vessels of Aleson Shipping Lines were involved in 32 maritime incidents since 2019.
Three major incidents happened within a span of 10 years, including the M/V Danica Joy which sank at the Zamboanga City Port in 2016, the M/V Mary Joy in 2023 where 30 passengers were killed after it caught fire while at sea, and the M/V Trisha Kirsten 3.
According to the initial investigation, MV Trisha Kerstin 3 was carrying 317 passengers and 27 crew members when it sank on Monday, Jan. 26, about 2.75 nautical miles northeast of Baluk-Baluk Island in Basilan.
This brings the total number of those aboard to 344, not 359 as earlier reported by the PCG.
“’Yung ibang pasahero hindi po tumuloy sa biyahe. That explains the difference,” Lopez said.
As of writing, the death toll stood at 18, including an infant, while 10 others were missing. A total of 316 individuals were also rescued.
PCG Commandant Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan said there is a possibility that some passengers were not listed in the passenger manifest as some survivors were claiming they have yet to find their missing relatives.
Search and rescue
Meanwhile, Gavan said technical wreck divers will begin underwater operations to inspect the wreck, which lies about 76 meters below the surface, on Wednesday, Jan. 28.
“Today, six technical divers from Manila will arrive with their equipment. They will start technical diving tomorrow. We have prepared 16 technical wreck divers. Others will arrive tomorrow. We will also deploy a remote operated vehicle (ROV) to assist,” he said.
He said no diving was conducted on the first day of the search as efforts focused on surface search.
Asked about the missing captain, Gavan said it is standard maritime practice for a shipmaster to be the last to leave a vessel.
“I am not surprised that he is among the missing. That is unfortunate and saddening. But the expectation among all mariners is that the captain is the last to abandon ship,” he said.
Commodore Rejard Marfe, commander of the Coast Guard District of Southwestern Mindanao, said the official number of missing is based on the vessel manifest. (Martin Sadongdong)
