Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez on Tuesday grounded all passenger ships of Aleson Shipping Lines until a thorough and comprehensive maritime safety inspection and audit of its fleet and crew are completed.
This action follows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.‚‘s directive to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to conduct a full-scale investigation into the tragedy.
Lopez‚‘s directive to the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) to ground all Aleson vessels comes after the sinking of the MV Trisha Kerstin 3.
While en route to Jolo, Sulu, from Zamboanga City, the vessel sank, leaving 18 people dead and 10 others missing, including the ship‚‘s captain, eight crew members, and a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) marshal.
A total of 316 others were rescued, according to the PCG.
Lopez ordered the PCG to complete the probe within 15 days and immediately dispatch personnel to conduct emergency readiness evaluations, safety inspections, and audits on two Aleson vessels traveling from Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, to Zamboanga, and Jolo, Sulu, to Zamboanga.
“We are grounding the entire fleet of Aleson Shipping Lines, and I‚Äôm asking MARINA to conduct a maritime safety audit together with the Philippine Coast Guard‚” not just the ships, but their crew as well,” Lopez said.
He stated that the ongoing probe aims to determine the cause of the sinking and identify all possible lapses by both the government and the ship owner.
“If we exact accountability from the ship owners, we will exact even higher accountability from the government,” he said.
The transport chief likewise ordered MARINA to submit a complete maritime safety audit and inventory of the entire passenger vessel fleet in the country.
The maritime transport regulator is expected to submit the results of the audit and inventory in the coming days.
Lopez stressed that the current priority is for the shipping company to expedite the issuance of insurance claims and provide emergency assistance to the victims‚’ families and rescued passengers.
He added that the firm should streamline its process to make it easier for claimants.
Malacañang meanwhile assured the public on Monday that safety measures are being strengthened for roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessels nationwide following the ferry sinking in Basilan.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said authorities have coordinated closely with the PCG to ensure compliance with passenger limits and other maritime regulations.
“We have spoken directly with the Coast Guard, and they remain vigilant in checking whether vessels are carrying excess passengers or violating laws meant to protect travelers,” Castro said.
Castro added that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has been tasked by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to provide appropriate aid to those affected by the incident.
The government emphasized that the safety of all RoRo passengers remains a priority, with stricter monitoring and enforcement of maritime safety rules to prevent similar tragedies.
The PCG earlier confirmed that at least 18 people died and 24 remain missing after the ferry, carrying more than 350 passengers, sank. With Charles Dantes
