ZAMBOANGA CITY — The Regional Forensics Unit-9 (SOCO) has warned that the bodies recovered from the sunken MV Trisha Kerstin 3 off Baluk-Baluk Island in Hadji Muhtamad, Basilan, are no longer safe to handle due to biological hazards.

Medico-legal officer Dr. Vandolph Valmoria said the remains are severely decomposed, some beyond recognition. For public safety and to preserve the integrity of the identification process, he recommended that the bodies be quickly transported to a controlled facility on land for immediate burial.

“I suggest that once the remains arrive at the port, they be brought to a processing area close to the gravesite,” Valmoria said. “We have no other options. The Zamboanga City Medical Center is no longer accepting these cadavers due to their condition.”

The meeting to coordinate the response was attended by Celso Lobregat, Chief of Staff and Secretary to the Mayor; City Administrator Percival Ramos; and City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Dr. Elmeir Apolinario.

City health officer Dr. Dulce Miravite said the city-owned Talabaan Cemetery in Barangay Talabaan is the most suitable location for processing and burying the remains. The city government, together with national agencies, Darul Ifta and the Ulama Council, has made the necessary arrangements, as more remains are still expected for identification.

As of 8 February, the confirmed death toll from the disaster has reached 45, with the most recent bodies recovered on 4 February. A total of 316 survivors have been accounted for so far.

Commodore Rejard V. Marfe, commander of the Philippine Coast Guard District Southwestern Mindanao, said technical divers resumed operations on Saturday after a temporary suspension due to tropical depression "Basyang."

“They are conducting external scans to find safe entry points for interior inspection,” Commodore Marfe said. He added that while there was no immediate oil spill, the Coast Guard remains alert for potential biological or chemical hazards as the wreck settles.

The city government confirmed that the recovered remains were buried according to Islamic rites, following guidance from religious authorities and health safety protocols. Due to decomposition and biological hazards, each body was placed in a cadaver bag before burial.

The Zamboanga City meeting, presided over by Lobregat, also covered updates on ongoing rescue and recovery operations, survivor and fatality lists, and the involvement of the Ulama Council and Darul Ifta in overseeing religious rites for Muslim victims.