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John Unson - The Philippine Star
February 3, 2026 | 12:00am
This screen grab from video footage taken and received on January 26, 2026 from Governor Mujiv Hataman shows rescuers assisting survivors of the sunken MV Trisha Kerstin 3 at a port in Isabela, Basilan province.
Gov. Mujiv Hataman via AFP
COTABATO CITY, Philippines — The 32 soldiers who were among the 316 who survived the sinking of MV Trisha Kerstin 3 are back to their duties in the Army in Basilan, the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) confirmed yesterday.
Brig. Gen. Alaric Avelino Santos, 1102nd Infantry Brigade in Sulu, said the 32 are members of the 21st Infantry Battalion and were on their way back to their posts when they took the ill-fated ship.
The soldiers, according to accounts of civilian survivors, were among the people who calmed them down when the boat was sinking and assisted them in putting their life vests on.
Santos said the soldiers were either returning to their posts from tactical schooling or from vacation.
He added that the soldiers’ were welcomed and cheered on for having survived their ordeal on Jan. 26 when Trisha Kerstin 3 sank off Hadji Muhtamad town in Basilan.
Maj. Gen. Donald Gumiran, Westmincom commander, ordered his unit to assist in rehabilitation and psychological intervention for the survivors.
