Calls mount for raps vs Aleson, gov’t execs over ferry sinking
Basilan Rep. Yusop Alano has demanded that a shipping company as well as state regulators be held accountable for the death of 18 passengers of MV Trisha Kerstin 3, the inter-island vessel that sank in the waters off Basilan province on Monday.
In a privilege speech on Tuesday, Alano condemned what he called a “failure of duty” that led to the sinking of the roll-on, roll-off (Ro-Ro) ferry, the latest in sea tragedies in the last 10 years involving Aleson Shipping Lines.
“These are not tourists. They are not adventurers. They are ordinary Filipinos traveling by necessity, simply trying to return to their families and their livelihoods,” Alano said. “These are lives suspended between hope and grief.”
The lawmaker said the ferry sinking—in which 18 died, 316 had been rescued and at least 10 were still unaccounted for—was not an isolated incident but part of a disturbing pattern involving Aleson since 2016.
He cited the case of MV Danica Joy 2 that capsized in Zamboanga City in 2016, and the 2023 fire that killed at least 31 people aboard MV Lady Mary Joy 3 in the waters near Baluk-Baluk Island, Hadji Muhtamad town, Basilan.
‘Systemic shortcomings’
“Three major incidents in a single decade cannot reasonably be attributed to misfortune alone,” Alano said. “They point to systemic shortcomings that were allowed to persist, gradually normalized and insufficiently addressed.”
He pressed for accountability not only from shipping operators but also from regulators, such as the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina).
“Regulation that exists only on paper is not regulation. It is a promise that fails precisely when it is needed most,” Alano said, stressing that mere expressions of sympathy cannot substitute for reform.
MV Trisha Kerstin 3 capsized around 1:50 a.m. on Monday off Baluk-Baluk Island in Hadji Muhtamad town, Basilan, while en route from Zamboanga City to Sulu. It had 344 passengers and 27 crew members on board, according to the PCG.
The Department of Transportation had grounded Aleson’s entire passenger fleet. Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez directed the PCG and Marina to conduct a maritime safety audit of all ships owned by Aleson and its crew members within 10 days.
The results of the “full-blown” investigation into the incident would determine whether the shipping line would be allowed to resume its operations, Lopez said.
Founded in 1976, Aleson currently operates at least 36 vessels, making it the largest shipping operator in Western Mindanao.
Were life vests enough?
Also on Tuesday, Kusug Tausug Rep. Aiman Tan called for a full and independent investigation.
“The passengers who perished and those who survived will now bear lifelong scars, suffered from a tragedy that was supposedly preventable,” Tan said.
In Basilan, the provincial board on Wednesday firmed up a resolution urging “a thorough probe into all entities and institutions responsible for the incident.”
On Wednesday, Sen. Raffy Tulfo demanded to know from Marina why the number of deaths got that high. He raised the matter during a House committee hearing on the proposed Magna Carta for Commuters.
“Based on the (account of) survivors, what is the story? Why were the casualties so high? Were they afraid to jump because there were no life vests?” Tulfo said, wondering if there were enough vests for the people onboard or if they were usable at all.
No assistance from officers
In response, Emmanuel Carpio, officer in charge of Marina’s Office of the Deputy Administrator for Operations, said initial information showed that the passengers were able to put on life vests “but there was no assistance from the officers on board to help them.”
Tulfo said the tragedy would not have occurred in the first place if the reports were true that the weather was fair, and that deaths could have been prevented if all passengers had life vests on.
“So if the weather was fair and everything was complete and everyone was wearing life vests, no one should have died. Therefore, there must have been a lapse on the part of the vessel—either there were no life vests or the crew or officers of the ship failed to help. That should be part of your investigation,” the senator said.
Fair weather
All these points are covered by the ongoing probe, Carpio said.
One survivor, Jun Guro, told a government-run radio station in Isabela City, Basilan, that he found it puzzling that the ferry sank even when there was no storm at the time.
Another survivor, lawyer Aquino Sajili, corroborated the observation, saying “The incident occurred under calm sea conditions, in the absence of any storm or extraordinary natural force.”
“When a passenger sinks in such conditions, the possibility of operational failure, regulatory lapse, or negligence cannot be ignored and must be squarely examined,’’ he added.
The PCG said technical divers and an underwater drone had been deployed to expand the search for crew members and passengers who remained missing two days after the tragedy.
The divers would search for specific target areas, while the drone would explore deeper portions of the seabed that are unsafe for human divers, PCG spokesperson Capt. Noemie Cayabyab said. —With reports from Gabryelle Dumalag and Krixia Subingsubing
