SEN. Loren Legarda blamed concerned government agencies for the sea tragedies that claimed scores of lives, saying they failed to strictly enforce the law. During the inquiry on the sinking of Marine Vessel Trisha Kerstin, the senator said sea tragedies were "not solely due to climate or weather conditions." The sea tragedy last Jan. 26 resulted in the death of 52 people while 316 others survived. There were still an undetermined number of missing persons. “I’ve been here since 1998, this is not just once or the first time, this is a bad habit of negligence by government agencies," Legarda said. It it truly was an accident, it was "clearly the negligence" of the Department of Transportation, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), she said in Filipino. “I'm not saying that it's been like this all the time since I witnessed it in 1998, but most of the time, it's negligence," Legarda said. "First, in the overloading of passengers; second, in the overloading of cargo; third, in the decision to sail whether the weather is good; and fourth, the seaworthiness of the vessels," she said. "If you think about it, this is very basic if the PCG and the Marina are doing their jobs,” Legarda added. She urged all concerned government agencies to strictly enforce the law to avoid another sea accident. Sen. Raffy Tulfo, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Services, earlier cited reports showing a disturbing safety record for the shipping company, yet its vessels were still permitted to operate. “Thirty-two incidents since 2019 — these ships have become floating coffins. Authorities should have first conducted thorough inspections of its vessels, and ensured that its crews were properly trained before allowing them to sail again,” he said in Filipino. “Somebody should be held liable. Suspension is not enough. Somebody has to go to jail,” Tulfo said.