One of the 293 people who survived a recent ferry sinking in the southern Philippines has told local lawmakers that the vessel was already listing noticeably even before it left port on its ill-fated voyage.
In a consultation at the Philippine Senate on Thursday, February 12, Fatima Sweenee Sajili said that the incident that led to the loss of the Ro-Pax ferry Trisha Kerstin 3 along with over 50 passengers and crew off Basilan province occurred under calm sea conditions.
Accompanied by some of the other survivors at the consultation, Sajili recounted that they had observed that the ferry was still listing despite the weather being calm in the early morning (local time) of January 26, 2026.
The ferry later suffered water ingress and sank off Basilan's Baluk-Baluk Island at around 02:00 on January 26. Ongoing search and rescue/recovery operations by the Philippine Coast Guard and other partner agencies have led to the recovery of the bodies of 53 deceased victims while 25 other people are still missing.
"We wish to let it be known that the vessel was already listing while it was still at the port," Sajili said in Filipino while addressing the members of the Senate Committee on Public Services.
She added that the captain was aware that the ferry was listing but had nonetheless decided to proceed with their scheduled voyage from Zamboanga City to Jolo in Sulu province on the night of January 25.
In a separate consultation at the Philippine Lower House on Thursday, Muzaheeda Ismi, another survivor of the tragedy, told members of the House Committee on Transportation that several lifejackets were kept in some onboard closets that were locked at the time of the incident.
Ismi said that after the closets were finally forced open, she and her companions discovered that some of the lifejackets were already damaged.
An official of the Philippine Department of Transportation (DOTr) who was also present at the Lower House consultation emphasised that lifesaving equipment on vessels must be accessible at all times and that keeping lifejackets in locked storage is a clear violation of maritime safety regulations.
Earlier this week, Acting DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez said that charges will be filed against Trisha Kerstin 3's owner Aleson Shipping Lines as well as a number of personnel from the coast guard and the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) in connection with the tragedy.
Lopez said that the ferry had been permitted to sail from Zamboanga City to Sulu on January 25 despite "glaring safety deficiencies."
MARINA investigators meanwhile reportedly found evidence pointing to overloading of both passengers and cargo, thus refuting earlier coast guard claims that the vessel was not overloaded.
Lopez added that the ferry had been issued a safety certificate prior to departure despite the violations.