‘Trisha Kerstin 3 owner may lose franchise’

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February 1, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Maritime Industry Authority has uncovered various violations amid investigation being conducted on the owner of the sunken M/V Trisha Kerstin 3, a MARINA official said yesterday.

MARINA spokesman Luisito delos Santos said that if these alleged violations would be proven true, the franchise of the Aleson Shipping Lines (ASL) may be canceled.

“It would depend on the result of the investigation, on the gravity of the offense,”Delos Santos said.

As this developed, three more bodies were recovered yesterday by members of the search and rescue operation for the Trisha Kerstin 3.

The bodies, two adults and a minor, were found near the coast of Hadji Muhtamad in Basilan.

The recovery of the bodies brought the number of fatalities to 36.

On Friday afternoon, four bodies believed to be passengers or crewmembers of the Trisha Kerstin 3 were found floating near Baluk-Baluk Island.

Delos Santos refused to give details of the investigation as well as the findings, noting the inquiry is still ongoing.

“MARINA probers are in Zamboanga to investigate. It’s hard to give conclusions at this point, but we are seeing different violations,” Delos Santos said.

“For now, investigation showed that the passengers were supposed to board a different ship. The vessel’s name indicated in the ticket was allegedly different from the ship that was deployed. The passengers were not reportedly informed about this,” he said.

Delos Santos said that coordination between the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the MARINA is ongoing to ensure safety of sea travelers.

“So far, there have been 12 operational ships being inspected by MARINA, in coordination with the PCG,” he said.

Delos Santos said that while there were 32 maritime incidents involving the ASL, some were minor and rectifiable deficiencies.

He defended the MARINA for allowing the ASL to continue operating following the 2023 fire incident involving the company’s passenger vessel, M/V Lady Mary Joy, which killed 31 people.

“We are looking at a per vessel basis. If we deem a ship is seaworthy based on the inspection of the MARINA, we allow it (to sail). It’s not the operation of the company that we are stopping, but the ships. But for now, we are including the audit of the company,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bangsamoro officials are seeking to stop the operation of the ASL in the autonomous region.

Five regional lawmakers on Friday submitted a resolution seeking to ban the ASL in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. They said all fatalities in the sinking of the Trisha Kerstin 3 were residents of the BARMM.

The PCG has given assurance that the search and rescue operation would continue, with all efforts focused on locating the sunken vessel and the remaining missing people.

The PCG asked the public to refrain from spreading unverified information that may hinder the search and rescue operation.

Meanwhile, in Palawan, 11 people were rescued after strong winds and big waves battered a fishing boat in the waters off Pirates Island in Bataraza town on Thursday.

The PCG said the F/B Nilda sustained a hole in the hull, causing seawater to enter the vessel.

The Coast Guard District Palawan deployed personnel from the Coast Guard Station Bataraza, who spotted the boat at 3:55 p.m. with all crewmembers onboard. — Roel Pareño, John Unson