Photo courtesy of Raffy Tulfo/Facebook.
Senator Raffy Tulfo urged the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) to explain the high number of fatalities in the sinking of MV Trisha Kerstin 3 off Basilan.
As chair of the Senate Committee on Public Services, Tulfo questioned how 18 people died and whether safety protocols failed during the incident.
During a public hearing, Tulfo asked if passengers had functional life vests and whether crew members assisted them as the vessel sank.
Marina operations official Emmanuel Carpio told senators that initial reports indicated passengers were wearing life vests but were not assisted by officers on board.
Carpio said the investigation was ongoing and that no final findings had yet been reached.
Tulfo said fatalities should not have occurred if weather conditions were fair and safety requirements were properly enforced.
He said he expected Marina to submit a report to the Senate the following week detailing the circumstances behind the Basilan ferry deaths.