MANILA – Four survivors of the sunken vessel M/V Trisha Kerstin, owned by Aleson Shipping, shared accounts of alleged negligence and unsafe conditions on board, prompting Senator Raffy Tulfo to announce a committee hearing on the matter.

The survivors – Nur Hussein Sali, Atty. Aquino Sajili, Muzhaheeda Ismi, and an unnamed passenger – met with Tulfo through Senator Robin Padilla on February 3 to recount their experiences. They were joined by Raimona Romoros, wife of missing passenger Judge Alberto Romoros.

Nur said the vessel appeared overloaded shortly after departure, noting around seven wing vans, motorcycles, and a private vehicle crammed into a cargo bay with capacity for only five large trucks. He also observed passengers standing along the sides of the ship despite all bunk beds being fully occupied, suggesting that some were not listed in the official manifest.

Atty. Aquino alleged that tickets were often sold even after departure, leading to passengers being excluded from the official list. Some were reportedly forced to buy more expensive tickets from scalpers when the official tickets were sold out.

The survivors described the ship’s facilities as dilapidated. Nur said the restrooms’ walls could collapse and stairways were heavily rusted. Muzhaheeda added that the vessel was infested with bed bugs and cockroaches.

When the vessel began to tilt, passengers had to assist one another in putting on life vests, which were insufficient in number and allegedly made only of styrofoam. Some passengers reportedly sank despite wearing life vests.

Atty. Aquino said M/V Trisha previously operated on the Tawi-Tawi route, where passengers were aware of the vessel’s rusted condition and avoided boarding it. The ship was then transferred to the Jolo, Sulu route, marking its first voyage there.

After hearing the survivors’ accounts, Tulfo said his Committee on Public Services will conduct a hearing. “At sa pagkakataong ito, mas marami pang kabulukan ang mabubunyag at hindi pwedeng walang mananagot,” he said.

(And this time, more wrongdoing will be exposed, and there must be accountability.)