Photo courtesy of Provincial Government of Basilan/Facebook.
The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) said it would investigate claims of missing life vests, absent names in the passenger manifest, and the replacement of the ill-fated M/V Trisha Kerstin 3, which sank off Basilan last Monday.
MARINA spokesperson Dir. Luisito delos Santos said that these were among the possible lapses under review in the safety audit of Aleson Shipping Lines, the vessel’s owner and operator.
He said preliminary reports indicated serious violations, including the alleged replacement of the ship originally assigned to carry passengers that day.
Survivors also claimed that some passengers did not have access to life vests, with some vests reportedly kept in locked storage. MARINA said it would verify whether the number of functional life jackets matched the vessel’s authorized passenger capacity and check for possible overloading.
While MARINA conducts annual inspections, the official said operators must maintain vessel seaworthiness between audits. He urged passenger ship operators to consistently follow safety regulations to prevent similar tragedies.
The agency coordinated with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), which continued search and rescue operations following the ferry sinking.
