PCG sacks 4 personnel over Basilan ferry sinking
PAGADIAN CITY—The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has dismissed four enlisted personnel assigned to its Zamboanga City station following the findings of its investigation into the sinking of MV Trisha Kerstin 3 off Basilan province early on Jan. 26.
Another personnel was demoted by one rank, while two officers were suspended for one year.
In a statement on Thursday, the PCG said the decision was based on a “thorough, fair and comprehensive” investigation conducted by the Coast Guard Inspector General and the Internal Affairs Service, which found the officers and enlisted personnel administratively liable for the tragedy.
Dismissed from the service “without honor” were Petty Officers Sabhal Turaini, Khalid Asmawil, and Al-Yazar Muyong, and Apprentice Seawoman Mar-Iya Anawie. They comprised the team that conducted the predeparture inspection (PDI) of the ill-fated ferry before it sailed from Zamboanga port to Jolo, Sulu.
Investigators said they failed to independently verify the actual passenger count and ensure proper documentation of the vessel’s load line markings—both critical safeguards for a safe voyage.
Demoted was PO3 Jestoni Barretto, the duty officer on watch, for lapses in vigilance and performance.
Suspended without pay were Lt. Commander Tristan Jener Erediano, the station commander, and Lt. Jason Pagbonocan, who was deputy station commander at that time. Both were ordered to undergo mandatory retraining on ship inspection standards, effective supervision of PDI teams and operational management.
Earlier this month, Erediano, Turaini, Asmawil, Barretto, and Muyong were meted administrative sanctions and relieved of their posts after initial findings of the ferry sinking investigation were released.
Not condoning
PCG spokesperson Capt. Noemie Cayabyab said the agency “does not condone any violation of maritime safety standards.”
According to the PCG, the decision “marks one of the most stringent disciplinary actions” it has taken in recent years, as the agency faces mounting pressure—along with other maritime regulators—to enforce accountability amid recurring sea tragedies.
The vessel’s owner and operator, Aleson Shipping Lines, has been involved in 32 maritime incidents since 2019.
On Thursday, the PCG concluded its technical diving operations on the sunken vessel at the seabed off Baluk-Baluk Island in Basilan province, completing a final re-sweep to ensure no additional victims remained trapped inside.
Authorities have so far recorded 65 fatalities, 293 survivors and 14 individuals still missing, based on joint validation by various government agencies and families of passengers.
Cayabyab said families of the missing could expect continued Coast Guard patrols.
In a statement, the Basilan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) lauded Commander Cheska Jamorol for leading the PCG’s underwater retrieval operations, along with the technical divers.
The PDRRMO said that of the 65 cadavers recovered, 22 were retrieved from inside the sunken vessel, while the rest were found floating in Basilan waters, mostly off Baluk-Baluk Island in Hadji Muhtamad town.
As of Friday, seven of the retrieved bodies remain unidentified.
