MANILA, Philippines—Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday visited the survivors as well as the families of the victims of the sinking of MV Trisha Kerstin 3 off Basilan.
Duterte “offered her condolences to the bereaved families and extended words of comfort and solidarity to those affected,” the Office of the Vice President said in a statement.
MV Trisha Kerstin 3, bound for Jolo from the Port of Zamboanga City, sank in Basilan waters last January 26.
After the visit, Duterte went to the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cathedral in Jolo to give thanks for the safety of the survivors.
“We also prayed for the strength of the families affected by this tragedy,” she said in Filipino in a post on Facebook.
The House Committee on Transportation is set to hold a hearing on the ferry’s sinking on Wednesday, February 11.
“Our deepest sympathies go out to the families of the individuals confirmed to have lost their lives as a result of this tragic incident,” Quezon City 3rd District Rep. Franz Pumaren, the committee’s chairman, said in a statement last week.
“This representation is committed to ensuring that affected families receive the necessary assistance and that a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding this tragedy is conducted,” Pumaren said.
He said that the incident emphasized the urgent need to pass House Bill 3304 which aims to create a National Transportation Safety Board.
Under the bill, the NTSB would be attached to the Department of Transportation.