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Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez ordered the filing of charges against Aleson Shipping Lines for negligence and safety lapses involving the sinking of its passenger ferry, MV Trisha Kerstin 3
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The vessel was found to be overloaded with passengers and cargoes
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Lopez ordered the relief of eight Maritime Industry Authority and five Philippine Coast Guard personnel who conducted the pre-departure inspection of the vessel, and the PCG Zamboanga station commander for command responsibility
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MARINA will also file administrative charges against three Zamboanga regional officers for neglect of duty
Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez ordered the filing of charges against Aleson Shipping Lines for negligence and safety lapses involving the sinking of its passenger ferry, MV Trisha Kerstin 3.
Also relieved from duty were eight Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) personnel and five Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel who conducted the vessel’s pre-departure inspection, and the PCG Zamboanga station commander for command responsibility.
In a news release issued after a press briefing on February 11, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Lopez lamented how MV Trisha Kerstin 3 was allowed to sail despite glaring safety deficiencies in its passenger capacity certification, drydock/repair compliance, and seaworthiness certification.
In the aftermath of the sinking, MARINA began a comprehensive safety audit on Zamboanga City-based Aleson Shipping Lines, whose entire fleet had been grounded.
Roll on-roll off passenger ferry Trisha Kerstin 3 was en route to Jolo, Sulu from Zamboanga City when it sank in waters near the island province of Basilan on January 26, claiming the lives of 52 passengers, crew, and a PCG personnel.
MARINA investigators found the vessel overloaded with passengers and cargoes; the weigh bridge at the port not used by the rolling cargoes and private vehicles that boarded the vessel; and there were inconsistencies on the number of passengers in the manifest.
READ: MARINA starts safety audit of grounded Aleson Shipping fleet
Lopez also directed MARINA to file administrative charges against MARINA Zamboanga regional director Engr. Jedini Nur Sibal, MARINA shipping operations specialist Engr. Bevin Bibi, and MARINA shipbuilding specialist II Jose Ray Quimiguing for neglect of duty.
If found to have neglected their duty, the three will face criminal charges for violation of Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act).
A DOTr order will also be issued for risk-based categorization of ships and shipping routes as part of the agency’s corrective measures to ensure the observance of strict passenger and vessel safety to prevent a repeat of the tragedy.
Last month, Lopez ordered a comprehensive compliance monitoring and inspection of the country’s domestic shipping fleet following recent accidents.
READ: MARINA to undertake comprehensive check of all domestic ships
MARINA Enforcement Service director and spokesperson Luisito Delos Santos earlier said MARINA recognizes that recent accidents in domestic shipping “point to serious and systemic safety challenges within the country’s maritime transport sector.”
He pointed out that accidents occurring even in fair weather conditions “demonstrate that safety risks are not limited to weather alone, but extend to vessel seaworthiness, maintenance practices, operational discipline, and safety management systems.”
The comprehensive compliance monitoring and inspection aim to “establish a formal inventory classifying vessels and operators into high-risk, moderate-risk, and low risk.” A risk-based approach in monitoring ship operators’ safety and security compliance will allow MARINA – with its limited manpower – to focus on high-risk vessels and operators, Delos Santos said.
MARINA also recently issued an advisory reiterating the need for domestic shipping companies to strictly enforce safety requirements and emergency protocols.
