AUTHORITIES said Wednesday that the MV Trisha Kerstin 3 may have been overloaded when it sank off the coast of Basilan last month, killing dozens of people who received no warning from the ship’s crew. The death toll has risen steadily since the ferry went down off the coast of southwestern Mindanao on Jan. 26, with the body of a woman pulled from the wreckage by divers on Wednesday morning bringing the tally to 52. The triple-decker vessel capsized on nearly the same route where 31 people were killed in a 2023 fire aboard the Lady Mary Joy 3 ferry. Locally based Aleson Shipping Lines owned both ships. Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said MV Trisha Kerstin 3 was allowed to sail despite “glaring safety deficiencies,” including problems in its passenger capacity certification, dry dock and repair compliance, and overall seaworthiness. Lopez said administrative and criminal charges would be filed against the company and several officials of the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). He noted that vehicles boarding the ferry were never weighed as required by law. “One of the possible causes of the sinking of the ship was the possibility of overcapacity and overloading,” Lopez told a news briefing. “The investigation found that rolling cargo like trucks and motorcycles didn’t pass through the weighing station,” he said. “If there was overloading or overcapacity, it’s possible cargo shifted... inside the vessel,” Lopez said, adding it was “highly probable” other ships in the country were sailing overweight. There were also inconsistencies between the official passenger manifest and the actual number of people on board. Reiniel Pascual, an investigator for Marina, separately confirmed passengers had received no instructions from the crew as the ship began to list. “Based on the statements of the crew... there was no alarm or public address that took place during the emergency prior to the sinking and capsizing of the ship,” he said. While at least 368 people were on board at the time of the sinking, a precise tally may never be known as a mismatch between the ferry’s manifest and actual passenger numbers became apparent as more bodies were discovered. Aquino Sajili, a lawyer who survived the sinking, said he expected more bodies to be found by divers now searching the ship, which lies an estimated 76 meters deep. Following its investigation, the Transportation department ordered the relief of eight Marina personnel, including the Zamboanga regional director, and six PCG personnel who conducted the vessel’s predeparture inspection. The PCG Zamboanga station commander was also relieved for command responsibility. Obvious negligence The Philippines has a long history of disasters involving the interisland ferries that ply its seas. Many people rely on cheap and poorly regulated boats and ships for transport between the country’s more than 7,000 islands. Neil Baird, publisher of a worldwide ferry safety database, said on Wednesday that while the Philippines had made huge strides in the past 10 to 15 years, Aleson Shipping’s record was “shocking.” “Ninety-nine percent of so-called accidents are actually human error,” the Baird Maritime founder said. “Obviously, this case is negligence.” “They should never be allowed back into business,” Baird added, noting the recent disclosure of more than 30 maritime “incidents” involving the company since 2019. Sajili, who was in Manila on Wednesday with other survivors to press for government action, said that would be the only just outcome. “To be frank with you, the only time I think we can say we have achieved justice is... [with the] total cancellation of the license of Aleson Shipping Lines,” he said. Calls to the company were unreturned. As part of corrective measures, the Transportation department will issue an order mandating risk-based categorization of vessels and shipping routes to strengthen safety monitoring. Lopez also ordered shipping companies to place life vests under passenger seats for easier access and ensure the availability of inflatable life rafts at all times. “These are short-term, medium-term and long-term measures. We will come out with various policies to ensure this will not happen again,” he said.