By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz
MANILA – Technical divers from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) found another body in the wreck of the sunken passenger ferry MV Trisha Kerstin 3 in waters off Baluk-Baluk Island in Basilan on Monday.
In a statement, PCG Spokesperson Captain Noemie Cayabyab said the recovered body brings the total number of fatalities in the incident to 58, with 293 survivors and 21 persons still missing.
“The PCG emphasizes that these figures are consolidated through the joint validation efforts of the Philippine National Police-Scene of the Crime Operatives (PNP-SOCO), City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), Coast Guard District Southwestern Mindanao (CGDSWM), and the affected families who conduct daily coordination with interagency search and rescue authorities,” Cayabyab said.
PCG divers continue their search for the missing passengers daily, previously finding three bodies on Sunday.
Last Wednesday, acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez announced the filing of administrative and criminal charges against Aleson Shipping Lines –the operator of the sunken ferry– and some government officials and personnel as a result of a government investigation into the sinking.
Lopez said M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 was permitted to sail despite “glaring safety deficiencies” in its passenger capacity certification, drydock/repair compliance, and seaworthiness certification. (PNA)
