After the MV Trisha Kerstin 3 sank in Basilan, a survivor recounted the terrifying experience of the ferry accident and denounced the crew's negligence.
According to Aquino Sajili, a 53-year-old lawyer from Zamboanga City, the ship's crew did not immediately raise the alarm when the triple-decker ferry began topple in the middle of the night. “We, the passengers, raised the alarm and handed out life jackets,” he said. Many of them were women and children, who experienced intense panic as the ship sank.
“Just ten minutes later, there was a loud explosion, and the ship immediately capsized,” Sajili added. Many survivors clung to debris and abandoned life rafts while waiting for rescue, but it took more than three hours for help to arrive, something he called ‘unacceptable’.
After the tragedy, Sajili said there was a strong possibility of filing a case against the shipping company. “We have enough evidence to prove the crew's negligence,” he explained. The ship was carrying 344 passengers and crew, and one of his clients was among the fatalities.
Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez has ordered the grounding of the entire passenger fleet of Aleson Shipping Lines while a 10-day safety audit is conducted. According to Lopez, if negligence is proven, the company will expect the full weight of the law. The incident occurred almost on the same route where 31 people died in 2023 in the fire of the Lady Mary Joy 3, also owned by the same company.
