Scalpers a ‘perennial problem,’ says Trisha Kerstin 3 owner Aleson

Scalpers are a "perennial" problem in the shipping industry and contributed to the confusion regarding the names on the passenger manifest and the number of actual passengers who died or are missing, a representative of the owner of the ill-fated M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 said.

At the continuation of the House Transportation Committee hearing on the sinking of vessel, Aleson's lawyer Nelson Tan said scalping is a "perennial problem" for the shipping company, but later clarified the issue usually persists during the peak season.

"On the issue of scalpers, that is a perennial problem because sa experience namin, we only issued tickets upon the presentation of IDs. Now, kung sino ang bumili, we have no control anymore if ginagamit sa ibang tao, sa family niya, in one reason or another or binenta niya sa iba," he said.

(On the issue of scalpers, that is a perennial problem because in our experience, we only issued tickets upon the presentation of IDs. Now, after buying, we have no control anymore if they give it to other people, their family, or if they resell it.)

Tan said during maritime incidents, scalpers are considered "unmanifested" and those who bought the tickets will be declared missing.

"Once na binigay nila ang ticket sa iba and may nangyari, the holder of the ticket will become unmanifested and kung sino bumili will become missing. Magiging dalawa po yun when in fact, iisa lang ang sumakay," he added.

(Once they give away the ticket and something happens, the holder of the ticket will become when unmanifested and the buyer will be declared missing. So there will be two people [linked to the ticket] when in fact, there will be only one passenger who got on.)

The Trisha Kerstin 3 sank in the waters off Pilas Island, Basilan on January 26. The confirmed fatalities to date are 65, with 293 survivors and 14 still missing, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) plans to investigate why there are passengers undeclared on the vessel's manifest. To recall, overloading was one of the potential causes of the sinking of the maritime vessel.

Attitude towards survivors

At the House committee hearing, Quezon City Representative Franz Pumaren also echoed some survivors' previous remarks that not all victims received compensation from the shipping company.

"We already extended financial assistance for all survivors na P50,000. For the casualties, P300,000 each," Tan replied. He also said the company provided additional P100,000 cash assistance to survivors and expressed doubt over their earlier statements.

The issue of the company's alleged attitude towards the victims also came up.

At the hearing, one of the survivors said her mother was not able to claim the P50,000. "My mom wasn't able to claim the P50,000 kasi ayaw na po i-release ng Aleson to us, kasi daw po binayaran na daw po nila yung medical bills namin, and we should be ano pa daw po, parang grateful pa daw kasi nag-abono sila ng P40k," she said. 

(My mom wasn't able to claim the P50,000 because Aleson didn't want to release it to us. They said they already paid for our medical bills, and we should be grateful that they gave us P40,000 in advance.)

This raised Pumaren's ire.

"'Yan ang sinasabi ko last hearing, Attorney Nelson," he said. "Medyo may pagka-antipatiko pa 'yung mga tao mo. Imagine mo, ba't sila babayaran? E hindi naman sila maoospital kung hindi nangyari ito e!"

(That's what I was saying last hearing. Your employees are quite unpleasant. Imagine that, why would they pay the victims? Because they couldn't be in the hospital if this didn't happen!)

Tan apologized. "I'm sorry po kung ganoon po yung mga attitude ng mga tao [if that was their attitude]. I apologize on behalf of them po," he said.

"We will have to correct that po," he added, clarifying that the P50,000 should be on top of the medical expenses covered by the company. — BM, GMA Integrated News