The death toll from the sinking of the M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 continued to rise as another body was recovered Sunday, 27 days after the ill-fated vessel sank in Basilan waters.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said technical divers found a cadaver during underwater operations, bringing the death toll to 65.

It placed the updated number of missing individuals at 14, while survivors were logged at 293.

The maritime incident has sparked discussions anew about overloading of passenger ferries. The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has said that based on the number of recovered bodies, rescued passengers, and those still missing, overloading may have contributed to the tragedy.

According to the PCG, the latest figures were consolidated from the Philippine National Police-Scene of the Crime Operatives (PNP-SOCO), City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), Coast Guard District Southwestern Mindanao (CGDSWM), and affected families who coordinate daily with interagency search and rescue authorities.

The DOTr has said it is preparing to file administrative cases against Aleson Shipping Lines, which owns the M/V Trisha Kerstin 3, to cancel and revoke its Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC).

The agency has also said three officers of the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) were directly involved in the issuance of the vessel's safety certificates. Meanwhile, six Coast Guard personnel were earlier placed under preventive suspension as the PCG conducts separate investigations into the sinking and other possible violations.

(With reports from GMA Integrated News)