Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Article (news)

MV Trisha Kerstin 3

Victoria Tulad

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Senator Raffy Tulfo, chair of the Senate Committee on Public Services, pressed regulator Maritime Industry Authority why the operator of MV Trisha Kerstin 3, a ferry that sank off Basilan this week, is still in business despite multiple incidents since 2019.</p><p>MV Trisha Kerstin 3 of Aleson Shipping Lines Inc. sank off Basilan in the early hours of Monday while carrying 344 people — 18 of them have been confirmed dead while 10 are still missing. </p><p>&quot;Ibig sabihin, ang mga barko nito ay ma-consider bilang mga floating coffins. Yung mga lumulutang na mga kabaong. Bakit pinayagan? Bakit hindi muna ni-review yung mga barko at siniguro na maayos at seaworthy itong mga barkong ito at...yung mga tripulante nila ay well-trained?&quot; Tulfo asked in their hearing on Wednesday. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2026/1/27/hours-after-mv-trisha-kerstin-sinking-kin-remain-hopeful-missing-crew-cadet-are-alive-1723">36 hours after MV Trisha Kerstin sinking, kin remain hopeful missing crew, cadet are alive<br/></a></div><p>Engineer Emmanuel Carpio, OIC of the MARINA Office of the Deputy Administrator for Operations, said authorities had imposed sanctions on Aleson Shipping over 32 incidents its vessels had figured in since 2019.</p><p>“May mga suspension po in fact kasama po ang mga ating mga officers kung...they were found na talagang sila ay negligible doon sa kanilang mga functions,” Carpio added.</p><p>He said that the recent incident is considered &quot;very serious&quot; and merited an immediate suspension of operators.</p><p>“Dapat mayroon talagang managot dito. Kulang po yung suspension. Kung puwede, dapat may makulong,” Tulfo said during the hearing.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>INVESTIGATION</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Philippine Coast Guard Commodore Oliver Tanseco said the agency, MARINA and the Department of Transportation are already investigating the sinking.</p><p>He said that protocol requires a pre-departure inspection of merchant vessels and ships cannot sail without that.</p><p>He said the inspection icludes a crew manifest, passenger menifest, an inspection of cargo lashing.</p><p>“Ang barko po (ba) ay kakayanin niya yung alon, yung hangin? Kung mayroon pong weather disturbance, kaya niya pong maglayag, salubungin, at makaligtas pong magbiyahe? [K]asama na po yung competency, meaning po trained ang kanyang officers at crew.” </p><p>According to Tanseco, the MV Trisha Kerstin 3 was accompanied by two sea marshalls, who survived, and can give their accounts on the sinking.</p><p>He said the ship&#x27;s owner and it crew could face criminal charges of found to have been negligent.</p><p>Although the number of passengers and crew is within the allowed maximum of 352 people, Tanseco said the inspection will still try to determine if there was overloading since the vessel was also carrying cargo and vehicles.</p><p>Asked who conducts the inspection amid suspicion that snapped lashing due to heavy load led to the sinking, Tanseco said the captain and the chief mate are responsible for checking proper distribution of cargo weight.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2026/1/27/philippine-ferry-survivor-describes-scenes-of-panic-wait-for-rescue-0016">Philippine ferry survivor describes scenes of panic, wait for rescue</a></div><p>“Mayroon pong stowage plan... kung alam niya kung anong mga kargamento or cargoes na ikakarga sa kanya, mapa-sasakyan o kargamento. Alam niya po rin ang bigat niyan.”</p><p>Tulfo remarked in response that whoever checked that may be found liable.</p><p>“Kung kailangan makulong, makulong dahil sa pagiging pabaya,” he also said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>POLICY REVIEW </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>MARINA and the PCG both said they will review their policies, with engineer Carpio adding he believes vessels should go through more frequent inspection.</p><p>“Not only to do it annually, but we have to do it maybe there’s an endorsement every six months. Kasi right now our policy is every year to issue a safety certificate,” Carpio said.  </p><p>MARINA said, however, that they need more than 90 to 100 inspectors they have on staff.</p><p>MARINA also said it will review policy on compensation, which is at P50,000 in emergency assistance per passenger and P200,000 in case of death.</p><p>Tulfo pointed out that the amounts are meager. </p><p>Tanseco said that since Aleson Shippines has been suspended, other shipping lines will be issued a provisional franchise to operate its routes.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BMIB8ETii3E?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>MV Trisha Kerstin 3 of Aleson Shipping Lines Inc. sank off Basilan in the early hours of Monday while carrying 344 people.</p>

MV Trisha Kerstin 3 of Aleson Shipping Lines Inc. sank off Basilan in the early hours of Monday while carrying 344 people.

Suspension not enough, Tulfo says of shipping line with 32 accidents since 2019

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Suspension not enough, Tulfo says of shipping line with 32 accidents since 2019

Victoria Tulad,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 28, 2026 03:07 PM PHT

Read More:

Raffy Tulfo

Aleson Shipping Lines

Maritime Industry Authority

Philippine Coast Guard

MV Trisha Kerstin 3

Shipping

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