4 more bodies  recovered off Basilan

Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!

Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.

Visit Suniway.ph to learn

January 31, 2026 | 12:00am

BALUK-BALUK ISLAND, Basilan, Philippines — Four more bodies believed to be passengers or crewmembers of the sunken MV Trisha Kerstin 3 were found floating near this island yesterday, the fifth day of the search and rescue operation.

The recovery brought the number of fatalities to 33, while the number of missing people has yet to be determined. So far, the number of survivors remained at 316.

The bodies were found by local  fishermen invoved in the search operation being conducted by the Philippine Coast Guard, according to PCG-District Southwestern Mindanao chief Commodore Rejard Marfe.

Marfe said the bodies were retrieved and brought to the port of Zamboanga City for identification.

Earlier in the day, the PCG’s BRP Capones transported to Zamboanga seven cadavers for identification.

Five of the bodies were immediately identified and claimed by relatives.

Marfe said that PCG divers are utilizing a remotely operated vehicle or ROV to locate the wreckage of the Trisha Kerstin 3 and recover bodies believed trapped in the vessel.

The PCG deployed the BRP Melchora Aquino to help in the search operation.

The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) has deployed a ship, which will temporarily serve the Zamboanga-Lamitan route due to the suspension of the operation of Aleson Shipping Lines, operator of the Trisha Kerstin 3.

The 522-passenger-capacity M/V Maria Rebecca Montenegro will ensure that the connection between Zamboanga and Basilan is not cut off, the MARINA said.

Relatives of still missing victims on Thursday held a protest rally near the triage area where the list of survivors and fatalities was being processed.

Carrying photos of their missing relatives, protesters urged the government to speed up the search and deliver justice to the victims. — Bella Cariaso