ZAMBOANGA CITY(February 4) — As grieving families search for answers weeks after the sinking of MV Trisha Kerstin 3, survivors are pressing authorities to look beyond rescue statistics and confront what they say are glaring safety failures that turned a routine sea crossing into a deadly disaster.
More than 300 survivors of the Jan. 26 ferry sinking near Basilan have vowed to file a class suit for reckless imprudence against the vessel’s operator and other parties they say allowed an allegedly defective ship to sail.
Leading the call is lawyer Aquino Sajili, himself a survivor, who said accountability—not compensation alone—has become the central demand of families still waiting for loved ones to be found.
“This was not an act of nature. The sea was calm,” Sajili said. “If a vessel sinks under those conditions, then something clearly went wrong.”
Conflicting casualty figures
According to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the Sulu-bound ferry carried 332 passengers and 27 crew members when it departed Zamboanga City Port. The PCG said 316 passengers were rescued and 10 remain missing.
Survivors and relatives strongly contest that figure, claiming that more than 60 passengers remain unaccounted for. During an indignation rally in Zamboanga City over the weekend, families displayed bond papers with names and photographs of individuals they said were aboard the vessel.
Among those still missing, Sajili said, is Maranao Shariah Court Judge Rumoros, whom he credited with helping him complete his college and law studies.
Alleged decision to sail despite defects
Sajili alleged that MV Trisha Kerstin 3 was scheduled for dry-docking on Jan. 28 due to operational defects but was nevertheless cleared to sail two days earlier.
If proven, he said, the decision raises serious questions about regulatory oversight, vessel inspections, and the enforcement of maritime safety standards.
He further claimed that the ferry’s usual Zamboanga–Basilan–Sulu–Tawi-Tawi route was shortened because passengers in Tawi-Tawi were already aware of the vessel’s condition.
Shortly after leaving port, Sajili recalled, the ship began to list. A loud sound was later heard from beneath the vessel before it sank.
Calls for legislative scrutiny
While a Senate committee chaired by Sen. Raffy Tulfo has begun an inquiry into the incident, survivors are also seeking action from the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament.
Five BTA members representing Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi have filed a standing proposal seeking to ban Aleson Shipping Lines from operating in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
For survivors, a legislative inquiry is seen as crucial in determining whether lapses by shipping regulators and port authorities enabled the tragedy.
Recovery continues
The human toll continues to rise.
The Police Regional Office–BARMM reported Monday that three more bodies were recovered from Basilan waters on Sunday. Two were identified as Seaman First Class Alkaisar Hadjail of the PCG-Basilan and passenger Alnesran Asamuddin. A third victim, a female, has yet to be identified.
Families of the victims said they will file formal complaints after observing a one- to two-week mourning period in accordance with Islamic tradition.
For survivors, the demand remains unchanged: accountability, stronger enforcement of safety rules, and assurance that no vessel deemed unfit to sail will again be allowed to leave port.
