Photo courtesy of Provincial Government of Basilan/Facebook.
Senator Raffy Tulfo on Thursday called for the filing of criminal cases against the owners of Aleson Shipping Lines following the sinking of M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 in Basilan waters that left more than 50 people dead.
During a Senate committee hearing, Tulfo said the incident warranted charges of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide, arguing that responsibility lay primarily with the vessel’s owners.
“File a criminal case against Aleson, the owners especially. Kasi ang mga may-ari ang may kapabayaan dito. Alam nila na bulok ‘yung barko nila and yet pinalarga pa rin nila. Alam nila na dapat mag-retire ‘yung barko nila dahil 31 years old na and yet pinaloot pa rin nila,” Tulfo said.
The senator’s remarks followed disclosures by Transportation Assistant Secretary Manuel Cabochan III that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) would pursue administrative cases against officials of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) for neglect of duty and command responsibility, with those involved placed under preventive suspension.
Initial findings presented by the DOTr showed that the vessel exceeded its authorized passenger capacity, with discrepancies emerging between the official manifest and the number of survivors and fatalities recovered.
“Mayroong inconsistency sa passenger manifest dahil sa number of survivors and cadavers recovered. Mayroon po sa kanilang wala doon sa passenger manifest. So the finding is nag-exceed po sila sa passenger capacity,” Cabochan said.
Investigators also flagged possible cargo overloading, which may have caused lashing failures and shifting cargo, compromising the ship’s stability, along with safety violations noted before departure.
Tulfo insisted that accountability should go beyond administrative sanctions, stressing that the aging vessel—already past its expected service life—should not have been allowed to sail, while the DOTr said its administrative cases were only the initial step pending further legal action.